Juventus have reportedly made Chelsea vice-captain Jorginho their top summer transfer target, after being snubbed by Barcelona star Arthur Melo.
According to a report from Tuttosport, Chelsea midfield mainstay Jorginho has emerged as Juventus’s priority transfer target heading into the summer window, after they were snubbed by Barcelona ace Arthur Melo.
Jorginho arrived at Chelsea in the summer of 2018 from Serie A outfit Napoli, following in the footsteps of manager Maurizio Sarri. The midfielder has had a few minor setbacks during his time at Stamford Bridge, but has generally been a key performer for the Blues. Till date, Jorginho has made 91 appearances for Chelsea, scoring nine goals and assisting two more.
The 28-year-old has been on Juventus’ radars since last summer, after Sarri left Chelsea and took over the reins at the Turin-based outfit. While a move did not materialise back then, the rumours have never really died down. And as per the aforementioned report, they have now made the Italian international their top transfer target heading into the summer.
Juventus had been eyeing a swoop for Barcelona star Arthur Melo. There had been reports of a swap deal involving Miralem Pjanic and the Brazilian, something which the Catalans were believed to be open to as well. However, Arthur has no intentions of leaving Barcelona at the moment.
Arthur had issued a statement last month iterating his wish to stay at Barcelona. And he has now reportedly informed the club hierarchy that his stance on the matter has not changed. This has brought the supposed swap deal with Juventus to Italy a grinding halt.
The report states that the Italian champions are dead set on offloading Pjanic this summer, though. And with a move for Arthur off, the Bianconeri have turned their focus towards Jorginho. Given his history with Sarri and his proven credentials in Serie A, it makes sense that Juventus are intent on signing him.
However, Chelsea might be averse to offloading the 28-year-old this summer. Despite having had a few ups and downs, Jorginho remains a vital part of the Blues’ setup. So much so that manager Frank Lampard named him the club vice-captain this season.
But, the possibility of signing Pjanic in exchange is something that might appeal to the Chelsea boss. However, it is also being claimed that the Juventus star has his heart set on a transfer to Barcelona and isn’t sold on the idea of joining the West Londoners, throwing a spanner in the works.
Jorginho has a contract with Chelsea till the summer of 2023. Recent reports have claimed that the 28-year-old would be open to a return to Italy. But, with Pjanic not interested in swapping Juventus for any other club apart from Barcelona, it will be interesting to see how this transfer saga involving the three clubs unfolds in the coming weeks.
