Transfer: Will Jorginho Abandon Chelsea For Juventus?

The future of Italian playmaker Jorginho in Chelsea is not sure as Serie A giants Juventus have been linked with a move for the 28-year-old, with Italian publication Calciomercato claiming Maurizio Sarri is eager to reunite with the man he worked with at both Napoli and Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea might be more concerned with building a team to compete at the top of the Premier League rather than selling off key assets, but a consequence of bringing in new players is that sometimes current stars have to make way for them.

For Frank Lampard and his staff, the big question in that regard this summer could centre around Italian playmaker Jorginho. Is he still a must-have player or could he help raise funds to spend in the transfer market?

It’s easy to make a case for any team to keep good players, of course, but with specific regard to Jorginho, a £50m signing two years ago, there’s much to admire.

He was the figurehead for the Sarri regime, a deep-lying midfielder who would endlessly seek out possession and gift it to his team-mates, helping to control games, dominate play and, in theory, be a creative conduit for the attackers.

It didn’t always go to plan, and he has sometimes been used in a two- rather than three-man midfield this season, but most of the criticism has come from outside the club. Certainly, he remains a go-to starter for Lampard.

Other than through suspension, Jorginho is almost always available, with injuries rarely a factor during his two years at the Bridge.

He’s a safe option for the manager to turn to, a reasonably steady performer who perhaps hasn’t excelled, but who is still a player of immense technical ability, has good international experience with more than 20 caps for Italy, and the knowledge of what it takes to play in a dominant, expectant team at the top end of the game.

Oh, and he also has one of the best run-ups to take penalties in the game.

Is all that enough? In a team which Lampard wants to be aggressive, brave and entertaining, is Jorginho’s relative old head and style of play too much of a clash with the opportunity to progress?