Former England and Liverpool defender Glen Johnson has urged Chelsea to offer Jorginho a new contract at the club. It comes as the midfielder’s deal at Stamford Bridge nears its final year, with a number of clubs linked with a transfer.
The 30-year-old has spent four-years with the Blues, signing for just over £50million from Napoli in 2018. Jorginho was key to how new boss Maurizio Sarri wanted to play, having used him as a metronome in his possession-based style at the Azzurri.
It took time for him to capture the imagination of the supporters, but the past year has shown his importance to the side. The Italy vice-captain guided his nation to a European Championship victory last summer, as well as winning a Champions League and Club World Cup with the Blues, claiming third place in the Ballon d’Or in the process.
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With the midfielder entering the final year of his contract soon, agent Joao Pedro opened up on his future, saying in an interview with TuttomercatoWEB, via Football Italia : "There are many clubs interested in him. In the past I spoke to PSG, Barcelona and also Milan’s Ricky Massara. I don’t know if the Rossoneri are still interested, though.
"The fact remains, we can’t do anything now because Chelsea are not allowed to sell, buy or renew contracts. Jorginho has a contract until June 2023, after the World Cup we’ll see about working on a renewal."
Reports have since continued to link Jorginho with a move back to Serie A, while a number of other midfielders have also been rumoured with a transfer to Chelsea this summer. Despite that, former right-back Johnson believes the club should offer him a new contract.
Speaking to GGRecon, he said: "I don’t think it’s time for Jorginho to leave Chelsea. He’s possibly not playing as much football as he would like but I still believe he’s a fantastic player and certainly a great squad player. If I was Chelsea, I’d extend his contract and make sure you keep him."
Whether he stays, remains to be seen, given Chelsea’s current contract philosophy for players aged over 30-years-old. The Blues will likely be forced into the market if they can’t tie Jorginho down, though.
