According to a recent report by the Guardian, Premier League giants Chelsea are said to have opened talks with Serie A powerhouse Juventus over a potential midfield swap deal in the summer. It has been suggested that the transfer could see Chelsea’s Italian playmaker Jorginho heading over to the Allianz Stadium, with the Blues being offered the services of the Old Lady’s Bosnian international midfield veteran Miralem Pjanic. It’s been clarified that Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are also chasing the Juventus midfielder’s signature.
The report claims that former Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri is keen on reuniting with the Italian – the man he brought to Stamford Bridge from Napoli when he made the managerial switch to the Premier League just last season. Although the Italian tactician did guide the Blues to Europa League glory in his first and only season in charge, the relationship between Sarri and club seemed to completely break down towards the end. Frank Lampard will have an important decision to make, as Chelsea and Juventus discuss a potential Jorginho-Pjanic swap deal.
How Has Jorginho Journey At Chelsea Been So Far?
The Italian was brought in by Sarri in the hope of imprinting his footballing identity into this Chelsea squad right from the start. Although there were some positive signs, it must be conceded that the former Napoli man’s first term at the club was far from a comfortable one. Sideways passing and dwelling on the ball for too long seemed to be the general trend in Jorginho’s play, and the fans around Stamford Bridge were quite vocal with their dissatisfaction.
At the end of the season though, Sarri seemingly abandoned Jorginho at Chelsea and made the switch to Juventus. Over the summer though, the Italian came back as a changed man. He seemed to be at the heart of everything positive that this Chelsea team produced, while the sheer composure he brought to the middle of the park simply cannot be underplayed. Add in his improved passing ability as well as stellar penalty technique, and within a year, Jorginho has gone from zero to a Stamford Bridge hero.
What Would Pjanic Offer To Chelsea That Jorginho Already Doesn’t?
For starters, they’re both extremely different kinds of midfielders – one who likes to sit back and control the tempo of the game, and another who likes to get involved and change the game himself. Pjanic is a much more complete midfielder than Jorginho, and would undoubtedly offer an added edge when going forward. Frank Lampard though, already has a plethora of alternate midfield options who collectively can do all the things Pjanic excels at just as well.
Chelsea And Juventus Discuss Potential Jorginho-Pjanic Swap: Should Lampard Go For It?
Miralem Pjanic is arguably among the best midfielders in the world, and there’s no need to question his attributes, but the fact that the Bosnian is already 30-years-old will be an issue. The Blues boast a flurry of top midfield talent, all under the age of 30, who have all been accustomed to the English game as well. Even Jorginho for that matter took time to settle in, but once he did, things took a massive turn for the better.
Allowing this deal to happen would have to be considered a risk, and with the Chelsea fans finally beginning to realise the sheer quality that Jorginho brings to the middle of the park, it would be silly on Lampard’s part to offload him, irrespective of the price in question.
