Arsenal's Jorginho contract offer hints at summer farewell as Arteta faced with dilemma

Arsenal’s decision to offer Jorginho a new contract would suggest that Mikel Arteta is preparing for one key star to move on at the end of the season. The Gunners are widely expected to be active in the summer transfer window as they look to prepare their squad for a renewed Premier League title challenge.

Jorginho will be out of contract in a few months as things stand, with a return to Serie A having been mooted in advance of next season. However, it now seems likely that he will extend his stay in England after being offered a new deal, according to The Athletic.

The report states that Jorginho is ‘expected to sign’ fresh terms at the Emirates Stadium, keeping him there for the foreseeable future. Arsenal retain the option to extend his current deal by another year but are reportedly keen to reward Jorginho due to his importance in midfield.

It suggests that Thomas Partey could soon be on the move, with the Ghana international having been linked with an exit for quite some time. He will enter the final 12 months of his contract in the summer, giving Arsenal the opportunity to sell and avoid risking him leaving for free next year.

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Partey has struggled with injuries for much of his time at Arsenal but has played a crucial role since returning to fitness earlier this year. He was pivotal in securing wins over Chelsea and Tottenham last week, which may give Arteta a headache when it comes to picking between Partey and Jorginho.

It would be a surprise for both players to stay, with Arsenal thought to be keen on recruiting a longer-term option in the middle of the park. They are said to be interested in a move for Real Sociedad ace Martin Zubimendi, who was initially linked in January but ended up staying in Spain.

Jorginho and Partey offer different things for Arsenal despite playing in the same position, leaving Arteta to decide which he would prefer to keep in his squad next season. However, it seems Jorginho might have the edge if his manager’s previous comments are anything to go by.

Speaking after his side’s win over Liverpool in February, Arteta said of Jorginho: “For all the kids at the club, if you want to look at somebody, just look at him. He’s won everything but you ask him not to play or play one minute last week he’s happy to go there. Ask him to play 90 minutes at that rhythm and he’s able to do that.

“I’m really lucky to have players like this. It’s a game that I had in my mind. I was imagining how much we were going to need him. He’s a really intelligent player, his biggest quality is that he makes the people around him better. He connects everybody.”