Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri is keen to hook up with midfielder Jorginho for a third time, with the Seria A giants ready to offer £35m for the Chelsea player.
Jorginho played under Sarri at Napoli and again at Chelsea, and Sarri is obviously a big fan, the National are reporting that Juve have already held talks over personal terms with the midfielder’s representatives.
Jorginho was signed by Sarri at Chelsea for £57m in the summer of 2018 and he recently said that he has considered leaving the club before.
Jorginho struggled to adapt to the Premier League in his first campaign but he has become a key part of Frank Lampard’s team in his second. However, he appears keen to link up with his old manager for a third time.
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As Jorginho turns 29 in December, it may be a last opportunity to recoup a sizeable fee for the Italy international.
The Chelsea player faces a choice as to which direction he wants his career to go after rebuilding his reputation in the Premier League.
“Last year, the fans were picking on me and I ended up hearing some things that were unfair,” he told FourFourTwo, while thanking Frank Lampard. “But I embrace this challenge and I’ve never backed down.”
However, The emergence of Billy Gilmour, who was outstanding in Jorginho’s absence in the 2-0 victory over Liverpool and the 4-0 demolition of Everton, gives Lampard a long-term successor as a deep-lying playmaker.
The Chelsea manager is set to lose three of his most experienced players, Pedro, Willian and Olivier Giroud on free transfers at the end of the season and will need funds to replace at least two of them.
Hakim Ziyech is set to arrive from Ajax on June 1 and Chelsea have also been linked with a number of strikers, including Timo Werner and Moussa Dembele who could provide the needed competition for Tammy Abraham.
Lampard is also said to have an interest in Declan Rice, the England midfielder now at West Ham who was ditched by the blues as a youngster.
Sarri, meanwhile, has deployed Miralem Pjanic or Rodrigo Bentancur at the base of his midfield this campaign but is said to be desperate to have Jorginho in the team for the third time in his career.