Arsenal have reached an agreement with Flamengo to release Jorginho early from his contract in order for him to feature in the Club World Cup this month.
The Gunners confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that Jorginho, 33, would leave at the end of his deal on June 30. There was an expectation that he would then move to Brazilian club Flamengo, but they wanted to get the Italian signed ahead of FIFA's revamped tournament.
Flamengo had until June 10 to get a deal done for Jorginho to compete in the Club World Cup group stage. And now, it has been confirmed that Arsenal have agreed to sanction his departure so he can be involved for their matches against ES Tunis, Chelsea and Leon later this month.
Jorginho has signed a three-year deal with Flamengo and he will be presented to his new team's fans on Saturday.
"We can confirm that we have reached a mutual agreement with Jorginho to end his contract with immediate effect to become a free agent," Arsenal said in a statement.
"Everyone at Arsenal Football Club would like to thank Jorgi for his contribution to the club and we wish him and his family all the best for the future," they added.
It means that Jorginho's debut is going to be against Tunisian outfit ES Tunis on June 17. He is then set to face a reunion with former club Chelsea on June 20 before their final group fixture against Mexican side Leon. If Flamengo progress further, their Club World Cup campaign could rumble into July.
Jorginho joined Arsenal from Chelsea in a £12 million deal in January 2023, as Mikel Arteta tried to add depth and experience to his midfield. Although he didn't feature as much as he would have liked, Jorginho made a lasting impact on the Gunners side, as they battled for the Premier League title.
However, during the 2024/25 season, Jorginho's game time plummeted even further. He started just nine league fixtures and he was pushed down the pecking order after Mikel Merino's £30m arrival last summer.
Even despite that, Mikel Arteta continued to praise Jorginho for the role he was playing in the dressing room and the example he set when he was used.
After a 2-0 win against Manchester United in December, Arteta lauded Jorginho for his contribution to be prepared and ready to help the team when needed.
"That is his quality," Arteta said at the time. "I always mention his biggest quality is his capacity to make others better. Last season was the same.
"At the start there was less games, we don't play that many midweek matches and he had less minutes. But I told him to be ready because there is going to be a time, and it is not going to be in one week you have to play, you are going to play now or tomorrow.
"The way he prepares is top so when he needs to play he is ready."
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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