Chelsea were not interested in swapping Jorginho for Miralem Pjanic
According to Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Metro), Chelsea were offered the chance to sign Miralem Pjanic in exchange for Jorginho.
The Blues were, however, not interested and passed on the opportunity. Then managed by former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri, the Italian was keen to link up with Jorginho for the third time.
“Juventus had offered a swap deal including Miralem Pjanic, but the English side didn’t take it into consideration.”
The duo initially made a name for themselves at Napoli. When Sarri moved to Chelsea in 2018, Jorginho too was brought in to impose his vision of football.
According to the report, the player’s agent, Joao Santos, believes his client could have been tempted to make a move had Sarri not been sacked. The 61-year-old lead Juventus to the Serie-A title but his failure in the Champions League all but settled his fate.
“Would he have moved to Juventus with Sarri? I think so.”
He was replaced soon after, effectively ending Juventus’s interest in Sarri as we know it.
Pjanic has since moved to Barcelona. The 30-year-old is a solid player but is not someone who would add much to the Chelsea midfield. More so, given his age, he was not going to be a long-term investment. The Blues’ refusal to take him on is understandable.
End of the road?
Jorginho’s future at the Bridge has been a constant source of debate since he joined the club. Although his performances picked up under Frank Lampard, the Italian was conspicious for his absence post the restart.
In fact, it took injuries to N’Golo Kante, Billy Gilmour, and Mateo Kovacic to see his return to the starting lineup.
Where he stands with the new season closing in remains to be seen. Santos admitted that his client is happy at the club. He will however look at other options if he ceases to be a first team player. (h/t Metro)
“If Chelsea were to think that he is no longer part of the project, I would find an alternative solution.”
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Jorginho is by no means a bad player. He is, however, a poor fit for our system, especially so given his lack of pace.
The Italian is a seasoned campaigner who can be a solid player in the right system. Whether that will be at Chelsea or not remains to be seen.