Rio Ferdinand, a former player for Manchester United and current television pundit, has warned Jorginho, an incoming player for Arsenal, that he won't start for the Gunners.
On the final day of the transfer window, Jorginho, 31, completed a £12 million move to London rivals Arsenal, ending his five-year stay at Chelsea.
At Stamford Bridge, the Italian midfielder played more than 200 times for Chelsea and took home the Champions League and Europa League titles.
After Leandro Trossard and Jakub Kiwior, he is now Mikel Arteta's third acquisition of the January transfer window after signing an 18-month deal with Arsenal.
Although former England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand lauded Arsenal for their "shrewd" deadline-day acquisition of Jorginho, he does not anticipate Jorginho to have an immediate impact at the Emirates.
Ferdinand actually questions Jorginho's ability to contribute to Arteta's team beyond the squad level and predicts that he will likely be replaced in the summer when Arsenal is anticipated to rekindle its interest in Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice.
On the FIVE YouTube channel, Ferdinand was asked how he felt about Arsenal's acquisition of Jorginho:
‘I think it’s a good signing. I think it’s shrewd.
‘I’ve been known to criticise Jorginho and just to clarify that, I was criticising him because the way Chelsea played when he first got there, it didn’t help him.
‘There were too many big spaces around him and he was being exposed physically, with a lack of pace and dynamism. They changed the way they played with and without the ball and got bodies near him to help him and that made him a better player.
Jorginho, who was a key player in Italy's victory at Euro 2020, will don the number 20 jersey for Arsenal.
With the Gunners presently leading the Premier League by five points, Jorginho might make his Arsenal debut against Everton the following weekend.
He added: ‘Whatever you think of him, he’s a fine passer of the ball, especially cutting through the lines, he keeps it ticking, we saw that with Italy in the Euros.
‘He’s a fine technician on the ball and I think he will be a point of difference to [Thomas] Partey. He can come in if need be and fill that gap with the experience he’s got.
‘I don’t see him being a starter for Arsenal, I’ve got to be honest. I don’t think Jorginho is a long-term signing. He’s a stop-gap and they will get a big midfielder in the summer.
‘But everything I hear about him as a pro has been positive. Nothing but positive. In the changing room, he’s a leader, he talks and he demands high standards from his team-mates.
‘I bet he can’t wait to go there because Arsenal are top of the Premier League!’
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