‘Basically an extra member of the coaching staff’: Watts says £12m Arsenal player is 'key' behind the scenes

Arsenal are in a bit of a crisis right now. Mikel Arteta is about to face one of his biggest tests as manager with a number of absences.

The Gunners will wish they could rewind time to keep one of their star players at home instead of sending him on international duty, as Martin Odegaard now looks set to be out for at least a few weeks.

This comes at the worst time for Arsenal, with games against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City up next in the Premier League. A loss in either game could see them drop even further behind the top two.

Odegaard‘s absence isn’t Mikel Arteta‘s only issue; Declan Rice has left a big hole to fill.

Kai Havertz looks like he’ll be the man to replace Odegaard, but another player will now need to be drafted in to take Rice’s place in the side.

There is one player primed and ready to help his side in the North London derby, and Charles Watts has been speaking recently about just how highly-rated he is behind-the-scenes…

Charles Watts says Jorginho is like an extra member of staff behind-the-scenes at Arsenal

Jorginho has been struggling with fitness issues this season and has appeared zero times for the Gunners.

But, he enjoyed some minutes away on international duty with Italy, which is a good sign for Arteta, who may need him to fill in for Rice.

Charles Watts has been speaking to Caught Offside about just how important he is to Arsenal.

“And even with his minutes seemingly being reduced for now, Jorginho is still such an important influence on the squad. He’s a leader and he still plays a key role off the pitch, even when he’s not playing on it.

“He’s so well regarded at the club. By his team-mates, by the coaching staff and by everyone else. He’s such a professional and you can see that on the touchline by the way he talks to his team-mates throughout the game when he’s warming up as a substitute.

“He’s basically an extra member of the coaching staff.”

What does Mikel Arteta think of Jorginho?

Mikel Arteta was full of praise for Jorginho, who joined for £12 million. He even went as far as stating that it’s like having ‘another coach’.

“He is one of the most intelligent players that I have coached, for sure. The detail he can go into, to understand what is happening, not individually, but what’s actually happening in life, in the game, and how to correct it.

“And, then, how he can attract the attention of his team-mates to listen to him and do what he’s telling them to do, is really impressive.

“You use him because he is always there, when he’s on the bench, like another coach. Every time, I look behind, he’s there – it’s great that he is living the game.”