Chelsea’s vice captain Jorginho signed for their local rivals Arsenal. The Italian who came to Stamford Bridge along with Maurizio Sarri did enjoy a very successful spell at Chelsea loaded with silverware.
During his time at Chelsea, the underappreciated midfielder won the Champions League, Europa League, Super Cup, Club World Cup and was named UEFA Men’s Player of the Year after Chelsea’s memorable UCL campaign. Jorginho was a team leader who had a significant influence in the dressing room which means that CFC will not only miss him on the pitch but off the pitch as well.
But the fanbase were not appalled knowing that Boehly’s team were working on bringing Enzo Fernandez to the Bridge. In fact, some of the supporters felt that this was a very smart move as we could end up making £12m for a player who would leave on a free this summer. Also, his recent performances have been subpar and it was evident that Chelsea needed an upgrade on him.
However, this sale means that the West Londoners have to land Enzo Fernandez before the deadline. Initially, the Blues seemed to be confident of getting this deal done and even ready to activate the release clause. Chelsea wanted to pay in six separate installments to avoid breaching any Financial Fair Play regulations. But yet again Rui Costa’s unwillingness to negotiate has put this deal in danger of collapsing.
At this point, Benfica know that CFC are desperate and have backed them into a corner, not wanting to deny the £120m. They just want to try and make the payment terms favorable to them or best case scenario, get the release clause triggered.
Recent reports suggest that the talks are now between Boehly, Egbhali and Costa, it’s owners involved now. A major reason for Chelsea not waiting until the summer transfer window is because we won’t be able to exploit FFP’s loophole. Even though the supporters aren’t optimistic about this deal due to the complications, Benfica’s interest in the Argentine midfielder Alan Varela is a ray of hope.
What if Chelsea fail to land Enzo Fernandez?
Although this would not be a very ideal situation, if the deal collapses, Chelsea must let the deadline pass. Mateo Kovacic, Conor Gallagher, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Lewis Hall, Andrey Santos and Mason Mount too can be used in midfield until N’Golo Kante and Denis Zakaria return. Also, versatile players like Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah can provide cover incase the the injury crisis continues.
All in all, CFC fans must stay sanguine about this situation. Especially after Fabrizio Romano’s latest tweet and Sky Sports reporting that Chelsea are preparing to get his medicals done in Portugal, it looks like Enzo Fernandez will be a blue by the end of the day.
Is selling Jorginho a mistake?