Arsenal poised for first summer signing, with contract offered to star midfielder: report

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta ahead of the Gunners' Premier League game at Wolves in April 2024.
Mikel Arteta is doing business early (Image credit: Getty Images)

Arsenal are moving to tie up their first summer business ahead of a busy summer, with one star poised to pen a deal.

The Gunners are leading the Premier League at current, with Manchester City following close behind – though the champions do have a game in hand. Mikel Arteta's side have been impressive since the turn of the year, dropping just four points with a settled side that has seen little rotation.

But while Thomas Partey has returned to Arsenal of late, the need for a constant partner for £105 million record signing Declan Rice still persists – and the north Londoners are set to make an offer for one star that should clear up some uncertainty.

Declan Rice celebrates his goal for Arsenal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in October 2023.

Declan Rice is in search of a partner alongside him (Image credit: Getty Images)

The Athletic's David Ornstein has revealed that Italian midfielder Jorginho has been offered an extension to his current deal at Arsenal.

“Existing terms run until June with [an] option for another year, but [a] fresh deal rewards [the 32-year-old's] importance,” the highly-respected journalist posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Jorginho has been a figure who has started in the biggest games for Arteta this season, with Partey struggling to remain fit. The Ghanaian may well be sold this summer, with Arsenal expected to land another central midfielder. 

Jorginho of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC at Stamford Bridge on October 21, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Jorginho has been a key figure for Arteta (Image credit: Getty Images)

In FourFourTwo's view, this is a sensible move that ensures that the transition to a new midfield is a smooth one. Arsenal perhaps made a mistake by not replacing Granit Xhaka directly last season, instead, persisting with Kai Havertz in midfield. Arteta has since used the German up front to spectacular results.

Jorginho's presence therefore enables the Basque boss to bring in a new, long-term partner for Rice, while keeping around the former Chelsea star as an experienced squad option. 

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Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.