Reports of an Arsenal agreement to release Jorginho from his contract early have been played down, but the Gunners are open to the possibility.
Earlier this week, Fabrizio Romano reported that Arsenal had given the green light to Jorginho to end his contract early and play for Flamengo at the Club World Cup next month, with the deal “sealed”.
Yet James McNicholas and Mario Cortegana of The Athletic have denied the claims, insisting that no agreement has been struck.
The report confirms that Flamengo are exploring a deal, and discussions are underway. In theory, Arsenal are willing to accommodate such an agreement. But only if an appropriate deal between the clubs can be found.
One thing everyone agrees on is that Jorginho will be joining Flamengo at some point this summer. His contract with Arsenal ends on June 30th, at which point he’ll be free to move without a transfer fee or any club-to-club negotiations.
The issue is that the Club World Cup kicks off on June 17th, and Jorginho would miss the entire group stage if he waits until his Arsenal deal expires.
There’s an additional transfer window specifically to help teams involved in the Club World Cup, with the window opening on June 1st until June 10th. Flamengo will need to reach an agreement with Arsenal before that window closes if they hope to include Jorginho in their CWC squad from the off.
Whenever he joins Flamengo, Jorginho’s contract will reportedly be valid for three years, with that part already agreed.
The midfielder spent much of the last month out of action with a chest injury, but he returned just in time for a farewell to the Arsenal fans at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
The 33-year-old came off the bench for a few minutes against Newcastle United, and he’s now presumably available for the final game of the season away to Southampton.