Chelsea midfielder Jorginho has been given permission to talk to Arsenal after the Gunners abandoned their pursuit of Moises Caicedo.
Offers of £60million and £70m were rejected by Brighton for Ecuador international Caicedo – who will be staying put.
Now, talkSPORT understands the Gunners are instead going all out to sign Jorginho from rivals Chelsea.
The Blues have allowed the Italian to negotiate personal terms with Arsenal while the two clubs thrash out a deal which could reach £15m.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has made bringing in a new midfielder his main priority before the January transfer window closes at 11pm on Tuesday night.
Jorginho has been a key player for the Blues this season, featuring in 25 games in all competitions.
But the 31-year-old is into the final six months of his contract at Stamford Bridge and unlikely to extend his deal.
His place in the starting XI is also in doubt with Graham Potter’s side confident of signing Enzo Fernandez for a British record fee.
Chelsea are willing to allow Jorginho to depart to avoid losing him on a free transfer in the summer, though his salary could be an issue.
But any sale of Jorginho will depend on whether Chelsea secure the services of Benfica’s Fernandez.
Talks took place overnight but the two clubs are yet to agree on a deal.
Negotiations are set to continue this morning and things are beginning to get tense ahead of the deadline.
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