According to a recent report by The Athletic (Paid Subscription Required), Premier League giants Chelsea are said to be willing to listen to offers for two of their senior first-team midfielders, Italian international Jorginho and Englishman Ross Barkley.
The report suggests that Frank Lampard is keen to clear out all the dead-weight from his side, to make room on the wage-bill for the squad revamp that’s seemingly ongoing at Stamford Bridge at this very moment. The acquisitions of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner have already been completed, but it would take a fool to believe that Chelsea’s spending this summer is going to stop there.
Although the report has claimed the Chelsea are willing to cash in on Jorginho and Ross Barkley this summer, it’s possible that only one of them ends up leaving. The Blues are reportedly focusing all their attention onto the potential acquisitions of Bayer Leverkusen starlet Kai Havertz and Leicester City’s English speedster Ben Chilwell. Chelsea have a flurry of out-of-favour names to get rid of in the roster as well, with the likes of Danny Drinkwater, Kenedy, Davide Zappacosta and Tiemoue Bakayoko all still part of the Blues’ books.
What Is Chelsea’s Current Midfield Situation?
The Pensioners are fortunate enough to boast what is arguably the strongest midfield roster in the entirety of the Premier League at this point, with a wide variety of skill-sets and players to choose from depending on the requirements. The likes of Mason Mount and Billy Gilmour, who only came into the side at the start of the season, have done quite a bit to beef up their reputation among the Chelsea faithful. While the former has been utilised regularly, the latter’s introduction into the midfield was greeted with rave reviews and massive plaudits.
With names like Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho and even Ruben Loftus-Cheek to choose from, the midfield is one of the positions where Lampard is spoilt for choice. Moreover, the potential acquisition of Kai Havertz would also add a mercurial talent to the Blues’ roster in the engine room.
The only difference between Ross Barkley and Jorginho is that while the latter is a playmaker who likes to sit in front of the back-line and dictate the tempo of the game with his passing, the Englishman offers a much more dynamic presence in the attacking phase of the game.
Chelsea Are Willing To Cash In On Jorginho And Ross Barkley: Whose Sale Should Lampard Expedite?
Ross Barkley
The Englishman was signed from Merseyside outfit Everton a while ago, but despite being given an immense number of opportunities, hasn’t nailed down a place in the side. There have been various instances where Barkley has put in sub-standard displays, albeit with the occasional top performance squeezed in as well.
The Blues’ FA Cup quarterfinal tie against Liverpool is the perfect example of this, as he chose that game to run the show in midfield, and even produced one of the London club’s best goals of the season. There have been various calls from fans to cash in on Barkley, but given the potential that he once showed, keeping him in the team as a utility option might not be the worst idea.
Jorginho
The Italian international was brought in by Maurizio Sarri as the former Napoli manager looked to impart his identity on this Chelsea team immediately after arrival. Although the tactician only remained at Stamford Bridge for one season, Jorginho has continued as a Chelsea player. The playmaker likes to position himself around the centre-circle, from where he uses his superior vision and passing range to run the show.
For all the quality he possesses on the ball, it must be conceded that Jorginho struggles to perform in the defensive phase. Attacking hasn’t been a concern for Chelsea since the start of the season, while at the back they’ve consistently struggled. With Kante now seemingly back in his original position, Jorginho might just be surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge.
