Jorginho has revealed the part he played in convincing Italy teammate Riccardo Calafiori to sign for Arsenal.
Calafiori completed his £42million move from Bologna to the Emirates on Monday, with Mikel Arteta landing his top transfer target for the summer.
The defender, who can play at centre-back or left-back, has now joined the Premier League giants on their pre-season tour of the USA, where he’ll be greeted by a familiar face: Jorginho.
The midfielder played alongside Calafiori at Euro 2024, with the latter’s impressive performances catching the eye of the Gunners as well as their rivals Chelsea.
And Jorginho has now revealed what he told the 22-year-old to convince him to snub west London for north London: ‘To be fair I didn’t know him that much but when I got to know him and see him up close, it’s been great. He has great qualities.
‘I sent him a few messages while we were there at the tournament and I spoke with him and said if he wants to take himself to the next level and grow, this is the right place for him to go.
‘It’s nice to have a fratello [brother] here! We always try to help each other here and that’s what we’re going to do with him as well to make sure he feels at home straight away.
‘It’s a really good signing. He’s a really good young player that will give a lot to the team.
‘He’s a very professional guy, he is hungry to learn and humble. He has a lot to add and grow and learn and I think it’s going to be a good connection.
‘It’s great that he’s here, hopefully he enjoys it and we’ll achieve big things together.’
Calafiori could make his first appearance in an Arsenal shirt against Liverpool in Philadelphia tonight, with friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen and Lyon still to come.
The Gunners’ 2024/25 season gets underway on August 17 when the host Wolves.
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