Barcelona already eyeing up Arsenal star in January swoop

The transfer window may not have been even closed a week yet, but Barcelona are already planning how to improve their squad in January, and are looking to north London to do so.

That is according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, who claim that they are eyeing up Arsenal midfielder Jorginho ahead of a potential mid-season swoop for the Italian.

Jorginho joined Arsenal in January 2023 in a bid to help them continue their title challenge, but a late falter meant that they ultimately finished second to Manchester City, and the club have since signed Declan Rice for a massive £105m fee.

It means that the ex-Chelsea regista is now third choice in Arsenal’s midfield behind both Rice and Thomas Partey, and he has been a substitute for each of the Gunners’ four Premier League games so far.

He has been linked with a move to Turkey for much of the summer, but that transfer never materialised and the 31-year-old insisted that he is happy at Arsenal in the midst of the transfer window.

That could change in January if he doesn’t become a more prominent player at the Emirates Stadium though, with his contract set to run out in the summer of 2024 and the Gunners potentially keen to recoup some of the £12m fee for the veteran.

Now, Mundo Deportivo report that Jorginho is among Barcelona’s list of January transfer targets, which is likely to once more revolve around cheap deals and loan moves, a policy which saw Joao Cancelo, Oriel Romeu, Ilkay Gundogan and Inigo Martinez all arrive over the most recent summer window.

Ageing, not part of the first XI and out of contract this summer, Jorginho could prove another such gem.

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