There was lots of talk about a poor atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, but one man who undoubtedly brought the noise was Jorginho. Only a blow to the back of the head after a stray stud from Jakub Kiwior could silence the Italian, and even then as he trudged off the pitch with blood pouring from the back of his head, he could still be seen encouraging his teammates to see out the final few minutes of their 3-1 win over Burnley without him.

This is emblematic of the influence the Italian has had since his unpopular deadline day arrival in January this year. At the time Arsenal fans had grown giddy over the prospect of luring Moises Caicedo away from Brighton, but there is an argument that the £10million signing from Chelsea may actually have been a better piece of business.

Ask anyone around the club, and they will tell you that Jorginho's influence is huge. The Brazil-born Italian has a strong bond with much of Arsenal's South American core, but he is viewed as someone who will speak to anybody. He is regularly heard dispensing advice to younger players about matters both on and off the pitch, and strikes the perfect balance between jokey fun and professional dedication in training.

His importance doesn't end at London Colney though. Jorginho has started seven of Arsenal's last eight matches in all competitions and if you watch closely you will see that he is an extension of Arteta's intense personal coaching on the pitch. Players will look to him for instructions at set-pieces, and he will not be afraid to criticise a teammate for not being in the right position to receive a pass.

Perhaps the greatest testament to Jorginho's impact at Arsenal is how seamlessly this has all happened. It's easy to forget that just 11 months ago Arsenal fans were panicking after Thomas Partey sustained yet another injury in the 1-0 FA Cup defeat at Manchester City, with only Albert Sambi Lokonga to replace him. Jorginho's arrival addressed those issues almost overnight, and the defensive midfield position at Arsenal has gone from one of the lightest areas in the Gunners squad, to a position of considerable strength.

"It’s a joy to have him," Arteta said of the Italian after his defence splitting pass helped Arsenal take the lead against Sevilla. "His influence in the rest of the squad is enormous. He fits in the way we want to play. He’s so intelligent, he understands everything so quickly and he makes everyone better."

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That hasn't stopped questions though. Arsenal are looking towards the future of their number six role, after Partey was ruled out for the rest of 2023 with another muscle injury. At 31-years-of-age, it's fair to say that Jorginho is not it.

With this in mind it's unsurprising that the Gunners are tracking Martin Zubimendi and Douglas Luiz ahead of a potential January move. Both would be extremely difficult deals to pull off though. Zubimendi is happy at Real Sociedad, while Luiz's price tag is likely to be north of £60million after he signed a contract extension with Aston Villa just last year.

As they enter potential negotiations for a player in this position, Jorginho could well be the best card that Arsenal have to play. Unlike in seasons gone by, with the Italian and Declan Rice as options when Partey and Mohamed Elneny head off to the African Cup of Nations in January, the Gunners will be looking to buy from a position of strength. Should the right deal not be out there in the winter market, then Edu will be able to walk away safe in the knowledge that he has enough quality options to get by.

No decision has been made yet on Jorginho's future. His deal at Arsenal expires in the summer, but Arsenal do have the option to extend it by a further 12 months if they wish. This may not be the long-term solution, but for the here and now Jorginho is the perfect man to give Arteta what he needs at the base of the Gunners midfield.