Manchester United are weighing up a move for Napoli midfielder Jorginho in an attempt to replace their midfield stalwart Michael Carrick who is set to depart the club in the near future. The Brazil-born midfielder has spent his whole career playing in Italian football after moving to the country as a child. He has made 142 appearances for Napoli since his move from Verona in an initial co-ownership deal in 2014 and has scored 6 goals and made 13 assists during his time in Naples.
Some sources in the English press has suggested that Jorginho’s performances at the heart of the Napoli midfield have caught the eye of Jose Mourinho as he plans for a future without Michael Carrick at Old Trafford.
Carrick has not played for the Red Devils since undergoing a heart operation in September and has just six months remaining on his contract with Manchester United. Mourinho is ready to offer him a place in the United coaching staff if he decided to retire. And the Portuguese manager is now preparing to bring in Jorginho to fill up the hole left in his squad by the impending departure of Carrick. The United boss is believed to be a big admirer of the Italian international and deems him to be a more mobile alternative to Nemanja Matic.
Manchester United has currently slipped to third place in the Premier League standings after dropping points over the festive period in their matches versus Leicester City, Burnley and Southampton. They are in danger of losing their advantage over their top 4 rivals and might be caught up in the race to finish in the Champions League positions with rivals Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham hot on their heels. Jose Mourinho may have identified that his squad needs reinforcements in January especially considering how their rivals have already begun to make big money moves even before the transfer window has officially opened.
Jorginho could be an ideal option for the Red Devils and is more than capable of earning a place in the United first-team. He has made 21 appearances for Napoli this season and has scored 4 goals and made 3 assists so far in all competitions. With the Manchester club set to lose Michael Carrick and also, Marouane Fellaini who is likely to depart after failing to agree to a new contract at Old Trafford, the 26-year-old Italian midfielder would be a welcome addition to Mourinho’s squad going into the second half of their campaign.
It remains to be seen whether the Red Devils are successful in their efforts to sign Jorginho in the near future.
