Chelsea give Jorginho permission to seal Arsenal move with deal close

Jorginho is now set to undergo a medical at Arsenal after the Gunners agreed a deal that could rise to £12million with potential add-ons for the Italian midfielder. The Gunners have decided to act quickly after Brighton continued to dig their heels into the ground over Moises Caicedo, who was the subject of two rejected proposals from the Premier League leaders – the latest of which was worth up to £70m.

Jorginho is now expected to London Colney where he will meet his new team-mates and undergo a medical ahead of his dramatic switch across London.

Chelsea were keen to do business to avoid the prospect of losing Jorginho on a free transfer at the end of the season – despite their close rivalry with the Gunners.

Although Jorginho had not been a priority for Arsenal this month, it appears this was a signing that the Gunners felt was too good to ignore once it became clear Caicedo was staying put.

Mikel Arteta is believed to have been integral to negotiations as he was big on signing Jorginho – a player he has appreciated for some time.

Caicedo had been desperate to make the move to the Emirates after attempting to force through a move on Friday when he outlined his desire to depart Brighton with a written transfer request.

Caicedo had also been the subject of strong interest from Chelsea, who failed with a £55m bid earlier in the window.

Now the Blues look set to push ahead with a mega-money swoop for Enzo Fernandez as they continue to negotiate a package with Benfica.

It’s understood Chelsea have put £115m on the table which would be a club-record fee for the Argentine World Cup winner.

Graham Potter’s side had shown interest earlier this month but Benfica became frustrated with Chelsea’s approach to negotiations.

But after failing with a swoop for Caicedo, they have now turned attention back to Fernandez as they seek to land the top South American talent.

Arsenal are not expected to make any further moves in the January market should Jorginho arrive through the door.

The Gunners had been interested in teenage Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda but interest has seemingly cooled.

Fresneda looks poised to remain with Real Valladolid until the end of the season, although there is every chance there could be movement in the final hours of the window given the number of clubs that are intersted.