02 February 2023 , 01:00
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Thiago Silva has been forced to admit that Jorginho 's sudden move to London rivals Arsenal leaves a "hole" in the struggling Chelsea squad.
Jorginho, 31, swapped blue for red on transfer deadline day in a £13million switch across the capital, ending his time as Chelsea player after four-and-a-half years. Now former team-mate Silva was left surprised by the last-minute departure, with Arsenal only registering their interest after failing to land Brighton star Moises Caicedo in a late bid to bolster boss Mikel Arteta 's midfield and the Gunners' ongoing Premier League title charge.
Having won the Champions League alongside Jorginho during their time together at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea centre-back Silva bemoaned to ESPN Brasil : "It was for a direct rivals, but these are football things, it happens. He wanted to stay in England because he has family here. There are things that we have no control over, but we have to understand the player's side of things.
Thiago Silva has commented on the departure of Jorginho from Chelsea (Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)"I know we have a lot of work ahead of us, especially as we have lost one of our great leaders in the dressing room. Jorginho is a guy who spoke a lot and this hole will remain, but we have to move on. We didn't expect him to leave, but it has happened. We have to make up for his absence in the best possible way."
The arrival of Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for a British-record fee of £105m should do the trick in the long term, but the Argentine World Cup winner has vastly less experience than Jorginho, who leaves slumped Chelsea in 10th place. The Italy international arrived at Stamford Bridge from Italian giants Napoli in a deal worth £50m in 2018, having been tipped to join champions Manchester City.
Chelsea complete record-breaking Enzo Fernandez transfer after deadline day rush
Jorginho and Thiago Silva shared a good relationship at Chelsea (Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)Jorginho initially didn't live up to expectations in West London, but eventually won over most of his critics when he was the linchpin of the Blues' Champions League success three seasons later. Now, though, the 31-year-old is an Arsenal player and looking forward to working under new manager Arteta, who'd previously tried to sign him.
"He was a big influence because I know that he tried a few times to get me before and it didn't happen due to other reasons, not because of my wishes. So of course, he had a big influence," Jorginho told club media. "I'm very excited for this new challenge, and I just can't wait to be on the pitch to be honest!
Jorginho signed for Arsenal on transfer deadline day in a surprise move (Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)Have your say! Is Jorginho a smart signing for Arsenal? Join the debate in the comments section.
"Everything has happened so fast. I was a bit surprised, but I took the opportunity of this amazing challenge. It's an important shirt. It's an amazing club, a big one, and I’m really excited and happy to be here."
Arteta himself said on the move: "Jorginho is a midfield player with intelligence, deep leadership skills and a huge amount of Premier League and international experience. Jorginho has won in his career, but he still has the hunger and huge willingness to contribute here. We are so pleased to sign Jorginho and welcome him and his family to the club."