Jorginho urges Arsenal to sign Arteta to new long-term deal

Jorginho has urged Arsenal to tie down Mikel Arteta to a new contract and said he believes the Spaniard is ready to commit his long-term future to the club.

Arteta has just over a year remaining on his existing deal but he insisted last month there were no updates on a possible extension despite being happy in his role as Arsenal push for the Premier League title.

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The 42-year-old has been the key figure in Arsenal’s revival since taking charge in December 2019, overseeing a massive overhaul of the squad and guiding the club to the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time in 14 years.

“I feel that he could stay way longer,” Jorginho said. “I feel he feels good here and I honestly don’t see him going. It is really important for the club for him to stay because him with [technical director] Edu and the board, the whole club, they created something special. I don’t believe he wants to go as well.”

Jorginho has worked under four different managers — Maurizio Sarri, Frank Lampard, Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter– in 4½ years at Stamford Bridge prior to a £12 million ($15m) move to Arsenal in January 2023.

Asked how calm the managerial situation at Arsenal is compared to Chelsea, Jorginho said: “You have the direction that you need to go.

“You go in that direction or you are not part of the project. It is very clear. Everyone that is here wants to be in the same direction.”

Jorginho turns 33 in December and hinted that he could finish his career at Arsenal after making 51 appearances across all competitions.

“It could if they let me start another five, six or seven years!,” he said. “I feel young and I feel good and I want to play as much as I can. I am doing my badges but I don’t know where or when to finish to be fair. I just want to enjoy as much as I can as I love playing football.

“You have to prove every single day because people forget what you have done. If you are not doing well now they criticise you again, and you need to prove them wrong again and that is part of the game.

“What you have done is amazing but it is in the past. People forget really quickly so you need to keep proving every single day that you are worth it.”

Jorginho also revealed how he helped Kai Havertz through his difficult start to life at Arsenal to become the club’s key attacking player during the run-in.

Havertz followed Jorginho from Chelsea to Arsenal last summer in a £67.5m move but initially struggled before excelling in a centre-forward role, failing to score in his first 12 games before later registering seven goals and five assists in 10 starts when leading the line since February.