Saluting Jorginho and his contributions to Chelsea

By now, everyone has seen the disturbing images of now former Chelsea midfielder Jorginho donning the Arsenal colors. This came after he made his transfer to the north London outfit official on deadline day. Despite the excitement that all Blues fans should share following a historic window pieced together by the ownership group, the club had to say farewell to one of its most familiar faces, and leaders on and off the pitch.

Being able to free the Italian midfielder from west London before he goes without any compensation was an intelligent move, especially with the confirmation of Enzo Fernandez at the death of the final day. Graham Potter and his coaching staff can bid farewell to Jorginho knowing that they now have a replacement for him in the midfield.

He may be the player that has started the most matches in the midfield than any Blue, but it will present the opportunity for some of brightest young stars a chance to thrive in some potentially significant minutes. While Fernandez is not necessarily a defensive midfielder, he will slot in the role as the conductor of the pitch, just like Jorginho did with his vision, and talent with his team in possession.

Jorginho came over to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2014 on the same day that Maurizio Sarri was hired to replace Antonio Conte as the manager. From his very first Premier League match against Huddersfield Town where he found the back of the net via the penalty spot, to his final match in a Chels’ kit against Liverpool, Jorginho will always be fondly remembered by Blues fans as someone that contributed a great deal to the club’s ultimate goal. He leaves Potter with a question that the Blues have not encountered for quite some time, who is going to take the kicks from the penalty spot going forward?