Jorginho had come to accept he was not part of the Chelsea project

Amid the building transfer deadline day drama at Chelsea in January, Jorginho’s departure was almost a footnote. For some, even that was probably too much, but given the 31-year-old’s fairly lengthy history and trophy-filled service to the club, it still felt like it lacked some of the requisite fanfare, especially as it seemed to happen practically overnight.

But for Jorginho himself, it was rather simple calculus, as he explains in a recent interview. After months of making it clear that his priority was to renew with Chelsea, he had come to accept that he was no longer part of the project going forward.

“[Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta] called me and it was all very quick, we made the deal in less than 48 hours. I had spoken to Chelsea and I knew I was no longer part of their plans. I wanted to progress in my career and the Arsenal project suits me.

“It’s a young team that plays good football and fits my characteristics. I considered every scenario and made the decision. Sometimes you must accept when you are out of a project and that things come to an end.”

-Jorginho; source: DAZN via Football Italia

Jorgi signed off by saying that he “had an amazing time” and “the story was written”.

And then, just like that, he was gone.

(Amusingly, Arsenal picked up just 1 point from their first three games together, but they did collect all three against Aston Villa this weekend, to get their title push back somewhat on track.)