Chelsea: Jorginho stay at Stamford Bridge a real possibility now

Many expected Jorginho to depart Chelsea when former boss Maurizio Sarri did, but with Sarri’s future uncertain at Juventus, could Jorginho stay in London?

Throughout his Chelsea career, Jorginho has been cursed by his past relationship with former manager Maurizio Sarri. He was Sarri’s main man in Napoli, they came to west London together and many thought they’d leave together. Alas, they didn’t. When the Italian manager departed for Turin to manage Juventus last summer, the regista decided to remain in England and fight for his place—to the surprise of many.

After a rocky end to the season that saw current gaffer Frank Lampard shift his tactics to play with two No. 8’s in midfield, Jorginho exit rumors have been prevalent again. Naturally, Jorginho to Juventus has been the talk of the town for months, but that move is in jeopardy now. Sarri’s side crashed out of the Champions League on Friday, making his future with the Italian giants a lot more hazy. Therefore, it’s possible Jorginho spends another season at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea is not going to ever recoup the money the club spent for Jorginho back in 2018. As a player with a very specific skillset—especially in the post-Coronavirus market where prices seem to be back to normal—teams are unwilling to shell out a large sum for him. Sarri is one of the only managers in the world with the serious interest and current financial means to secure a transfer for Jorginho. If he is sacked within the coming weeks, the Blues will likely struggle to find suitors.

If you want to break out your tin-foil hat, Sarri’s next big club or a Pep Guardiola-led Juventus could do with Jorginho. However, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. While many believed Jorginho was as good as gone, the Vice Captain may stick around for another season. In a summer market which is surely going to move at a rapid pace—given the nature of the quick league restarts—mystery suitors and other interested parties may struggle to piece together the funds required to purchase Jorginho.

While another season of the 28-year-old seems like the embodiment of hell on Earth for many Blues fans, an extra year may not be such a bad thing. Lampard is losing a vocal leader in Willian as the Brazilian prepares to make the switch to Arsenal on a free transfer. Thus, experienced veterans will be few and far between in Chelsea’s dressing room next season.

As Vice Captain, Jorginho could still play an important role going forward. It’s not an ideal situation for either the player or for the club, but if the two sides remain together, they might as well make the best of it. Lampard is unlikely to include Jorginho in his everyday plans though, even if he does stay. The unfortunate reality of the situation is, the Italian international doesn’t possess the athleticism required to play the deep-lying role in the new system.

Therefore, the best solution for all involved would be for Jorginho to go elsewhere during the summer. Sarri’s sticky situation makes that tricky at the moment. Luckily, there are some positives that come along with keeping the veteran at Stamford Bridge.