Maurizio Sarri’s €8m release clause has long expired but Chelsea are yet to free him from Partenopei, as the Blues struggled to kick off their summer transfer window this year. They are desperate to do what it takes to land the Italian in place of Antonio Conte and they are now looking to overpay and sign one of Napoli’s players, to try and smoothen the deal for Sarri.
Napoli have already appointed Carlo Ancelotti as the manager for the new season but are refusing to let Sarri leave without any compensation but it is now understood that Chelsea are ready to pay over and beyond the asking price for star midfielder Jorginho, to lure the pair this summer.
The Brazil-born midfielder rose through the ranks at Verona and joined Napoli in 2014. He made a decent impact on the squad in his first season but has only established himself as one of the best in the world, after Sarri took over at San Paolo.
He registered two goals and made four assists in 33 Serie A starts from a defensive midfield role and displayed a dynamic range of his abilities on a weekly basis last season. He is a busy technician in the middle of the park, constantly adding numbers to the backline, but looking for an opportunity to set up his team on the attack.
He is technically brilliant, has great vision and the ability to make audacious passes look easy, He is not too strong in the air but is a master at hold up play and will add balance to any side he walks into. At just 26, he is yet to hit his peak and working under Sarri will only make him a better player.
So it is no surprise that Pep Guardiola is desperate for his services. Manchester City have been in talks with the Italian giants over a potential €55m deal for Jorginho, for over a month now but reports now claim that Chelsea are ready to hijack this deal and are looking to land both Jorginho and Sarri in one go.
Television channel Sportitalia (via Football Italia) have today reported that Chelsea are ready to pay up to €60m, €5m more than City are offering, to land Jorginho, and hope that the extra incentive will push Aurelio De Laurentiis in allowing Sarri to finally leave.
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Jorginho adds as much stability to the side as NGolo Kante and this midfield could potentially be the best in the world. It will allow Sarri to execute a similar system to what he used at Napoli last season, to run Juventus close to the league title in Italy. Only time will tell whether his system proves to be successful in English football. But do you think Jorginho will be effective for Chelsea?
