It appears that Arsenal, who signed Jorginho from Chelsea in the January transfer window, actually wanted another midfielder instead of the Italy international.
That’s according to Le Parisien, who interviewed a number of N’Golo Kanté’s entourage to discover the ‘secrets’ around his return to the pitch following an injury that saw him miss out on the World Cup.
Talking about the France international, it’s explained he was ‘very disappointed’ with the decision to let Antonio Rüdiger go, as the two were very close.
With a contract expiring in the summer, clubs outside of England can already talk with the 32-year-old about a potential free transfer, but he’s also in talks with Chelsea to extend his contract.
That being said, the idea of going to another club in London did cross his mind, as explained by someone in his entourage.
They said: “N’Golo would like to continue his career in London, where he has his habits. He liked working with Antonio Conte, but he has been sacked by Tottenham. Arsenal also made an enquiry… I think he will extend his deal at Chelsea before going to the Middle-East in two or three years.”
That suggests Arsenal will have wanted to sign Kanté in the January transfer window, six months from the end of his contract, when the player was still recovering from injury.
He’s now back, much to the delight of his current club, and it seems Arsenal then turned their attention to Jorginho to bolster their midfield instead.
Either way, a deal was struck between the two sides, even if it might not have been for Mikel Arteta’s first choice.
