The agent of Chelsea midfielder Jorginho has insisted that he has had no contact with Juventus amid rumours linking the Blues ace with a switch to Turin.
As noted by the Guardian last week, the Italian international has been linked with a move to the reigning Serie A champions with a possible swap deal on the cards involving Miralem Pjanic.
While the 28-year-old came under plenty of scrutiny for his limited influence last season, he has certainly improved this year and has been a pivotal part of Frank Lampard’s plans, making 37 appearances across all competitions while scoring seven goals and providing two assists.
However, speculation over his future at Stamford Bridge seemingly refuses to go away, and now his agent has had to publicly comment on the situation. While he did reiterate that Jorginho has a three-year contract with Chelsea still and that he’s doing well in the English capital, eyebrows could perhaps be raised over some of his other comments hinting at a potential desire to play for Juventus.
“Juventus are one of the biggest teams in Europe, all players would like an experience with the Bianconeri,” Joao Santos told Radio Kiss Kiss, as reported by Calciomercato. “I haven’t heard from [Juventus sporting director Fabio] Paratici, so far he hasn’t called me.
“Jorginho has a three-year contract with Chelsea, he is doing well in London. I read about the approach from Juve through newspapers and news outlets. Work with Sarri again? I repeat, Juventus is one of the top clubs on the football scene.”
It’s noted by both the Guardian and Calciomercato above that Maurizio Sarri is keen on a reunion with Jorginho, having worked with him at both Napoli and Chelsea previously, and so he is fully aware of his qualities and what he can offer.
However, the latter report notes that it would take at least €40m to prise him away from the Premier League giants, while it’s reiterated that a swap deal could be an option for the two clubs to reach a mutually beneficial agreement.
Time will tell what the future holds for Jorginho. On one hand he has reemphasised his importance to Chelsea this season and Lampard may be keen to keep him.
On the other, Lampard could have a talented replacement with a big future ahead of him already at his disposal after Billy Gilmour made a superb impact after getting a chance to impress prior to the suspension of the season, although perhaps that experience and quality depth alongside him will be vital moving forward.
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“The greatest talent I ever coached was Ronaldo but at the same time he was the player who created the most problems for me in the dressing room. He used to throw parties and do everything. Once Van Nistelrooy said to me: ‘Coach, the dressing room smells like alcohol’.” – Fabio Capello. READ MORE…
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