Chelsea, Barcelona or Milan - where could Jorginho play next season?
James Shearman
- 3 Nov 2022 21:00 GMT
- 3 min read
Barcelona and Milan are interested in Chelsea midfielder Jorginho, who is into the final year of his contract.
The Blues have until January to agree a new deal with the Italian, or else he can negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs for 2023-24.
There is also the possibility that Jorginho delays making a decision on his future until the end of the season.
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It is thought that Graham Potter's Chelsea will attempt to keep the 30-year-old at Stamford Bridge, but they will face competition from two of Europe's top clubs.
According to Spanish news outlet Sport, Barcelona and Milan will battle for Jorginho's signature in the coming months.
The former Napoli man has often been linked with a return to Italy, but a move to Camp Nou could be the more exciting next move.
Even though La Blaugrana are in decline, there are few players willing to turn down arguably the biggest club in the world.
But there is a real possibility that Jorginho is happy to stay at Chelsea, where he has been a key man under Potter, should they offer him a lucrative new deal.
The Blues also have a decision to make on whether to keep N'Golo Kante at the club going forward.
Jorginho vs Kante
Make no mistake, N'Golo Kante will go down as not only a Chelsea legend, but a Premier League great once his career comes to a close.
Having won the most unexpected title in English top-flight history with Leicester City, the Frenchman moved to Chelsea and made an immediate impact.
Kante won his second consecutive Premier League trophy under Antonio Conte in 2016-17, before adding FA Cup, Europa League and Champions League titles to his resume.
However, a series of injury problems in recent times has meant that he can no longer be relied upon for an entire campaign.
Wanting an extension of at least three years, despite turning 32 next March, signing Kante to a long-term deal would represent poor business.
On the links linking Jorginho to Barcelona, it won't happen because everyone knows Barcelona have problems trying to regista players in time
— CFC Central (@CFCCentral3) November 2, 2022
Meanwhile, Jorginho has never been as effective a player as Kante once was, but is more worthy of a contract extension at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian is a year younger than his French teammate, but the more important reason is that his body is not yet breaking down.
Kante's game relies heavily on physical attributes, whereas Jorginho has always had to work around his physical shortcomings.
So, as he enters the latter years of his career, the ex-Napoli star's technical qualities should allow him to maintain a high level.
His style of play also compliments that of manager Graham Potter perfectly, which should be another factor in the club's decision to choose him over Kante.
