Why Chelsea must hold onto Jorginho amid agent’s exit claims
According to Radio Musica Television via Football Italia (h/t Mirror), Chelsea midfielder Jorginho is a target for two top European clubs, his agent, Joao Santos, has claimed.
Jorginho came through the youth ranks at Italian outfit Hellas Verona. The 28-year-old made 96 appearances for the club, bagging 11 goals and 8 assists before joining Napoli in January 2014. The midfielder flourished at the San Paolo, making 160 appearances, in which he managed 6 goals and 14 assists.
The Italian international moved to Chelsea in the summer of 2018. And while he has had his ups and downs, Jorginho has grown into a key player at the Stamford Bridge. So far, the £110,000-a-week star has made 91 appearances for the Blues, netting 9 goals and creating 2.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have enjoyed a solid season under new boss Frank Lampard. In his first season in charge at the Bridge, the club legend has done a good job, keeping Chelsea in 4th place in the Premier League table.
Jorginho a key cog in the side
However, for Chelsea to take the next step and challenge for honours, they need to keep hold of their best players, while bringing in new players to strengthen the squad. To that end, it becomes imperative that the Blues retain the services of Jorginho by any means.
The 28-year-old has been one of the Blues’ top performers in the 2019/20 campaign. In 37 matches across all competitions this term, the Italian international has bagged 7 goals and 2 assists. Only Tammy Abraham (15) has scored more goals than the midfielder for Chelsea so far this season.
The fact that Jorginho hasn’t featured in just three of Chelsea’s three Premier League matches, two of which were due to suspensions, highlights his importance in the side. In addition, Lampard naming him the club vice-captain should provide an indication of his standing within the squad.
A veteran of 350 career appearances, Jorginho provides some much-needed experience to what is a youthful and relatively inexperienced Chelsea side. Furthermore, given N’Golo Kante’s injury issues of late, they can’t afford to lose Jorginho, as it would deprive them of depth and quality in the central midfield department.
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Verdict
Jorginho has grown into a key member of this Chelsea side. The fact that he has been named the club vice-captain by Frank Lampard in just his second year at the club shows the kind of value he brings to the side. Hence, losing him amidst interest from top clubs in Europe would prove to be detrimental for Chelsea.
