Serie A giants AC Milan will reportedly go head-to-head with Barcelona in the race to sign Chelsea midfielder Jorginho next year.
According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Jorginho is the subject of interest from AC Milan over a possible move next year. The Chelsea midfielder, who has entered the final year of his contract, is also a target for Barcelona.
Jorginho took some time to find his feet at Chelsea. But he did not look back once he became a stable starter for the west London club. The Italian international rose to the role of vice-captain under Frank Lampard and has done well to remain a regular for Chelsea in the last few years.
The 30-year-old has turned out over 200 times for Chelsea, chipping in with 29 goals and nine assists. But the Blues are in a spot of bother over the player’s long-term future, as he has entered the final year of his contract. With talks over a renewal not moving smoothly, several European bigwigs, including Barcelona and AC Milan, have set their sights on Jorginho.
Barcelona saw Gerard Pique call time on his illustrious career this week. And the Blaugrana might soon part ways with another legend, as Sergio Busquets is in the twilight of his career. Barcelona will thus need to lay down a succession plan for the club captain, who might depart from Camp Nou next summer.
Jorginho’s agent Joao Santos tells @relevo: “I’ve never met with Barça director Mateu Alemany. We want to extend the contract with Chelsea, it’s our priority”. 🚨🔵 #CFC @MatteMoretto
“We only had conversations about Jorginho with Chelsea — no other clubs”. pic.twitter.com/hHg2zfPnr4
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 2, 2022
Several midfielders, including Jorginho, have thus emerged on the Catalan club’s radar. And the Chelsea midfielder’s impending status as a free agent makes him an attractive target for Barcelona. But the Blaugrana will have to fend off stiff competition from AC Milan to sign the Italian international.
AC Milan lost Franck Kessie to Barcelona this past summer and replaced him with Tommaso Pobega. But the Italian midfielder has not managed to perform at the same level, thus compelling the Serie A giants to enter the market for a midfielder. And Jorginho is a viable target for AC Milan.
Recent reports have claimed that Jorginho is waiting for an offer from Barcelona before taking a call on his future. But it will be interesting to see if AC Milan can turn the Chelsea midfielder’s head by presenting an attractive offer. The Blues will hope to secure the player’s long-term future.
