Chelsea are reportedly interested in sending midfielder Jorginho to Juventus in exchange for Miralem Pjanic, but this swap would not solve any issues.
There’s something about Jorginho that holds him back from being one of the best holding midfielders in the Premier League. When you think of the best, your mind immediately draws towards Rodri, Fernandinho, and Fabinho, who are worthy of being considered the league’s best. While Jorginho is very much in that B-class category with players like Wilfred Ndidi, Granit Xhaka, Declan Rice, and Nemanja Matic, the Italian still feels underwhelming in comparison.
This is due to his languid body style and in general, his physical limitations. You absolutely need to have a strong frame along with skill on the ball to thrive in a deep midfield role in the Premier League.
While Jorginho can most certainly be considered one of the most gifted 6’s in the game when it comes to what he can do with the ball, the Italian international’s failures off of the ball have been well documented.
Now, it seems Chelsea are fed up with him, but their targeted replacement brings a very similar profile. Miralem Pjanic is a fantastic player in the Serie A, very much like Jorginho was during his Napoli days.
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It comes as a surprise to see Chelsea reportedly interested in sending Jorginho to Juventus in exchange for Miralem Pjanic. For Jorginho, the move makes sense, since he would likely thrive in Serie A, but for both clubs and Pjanic, it doesn’t seem very feasible.
The Italian league is well known for being more relaxed in the midfield, offering players like Pjanic and Jorginho more time on the ball and also more time to hold down their position in defensive transition. Pjanic’s strengths are very similar to Jorginho’s, and he would likely struggle in the Premier League as well.
Not to take anything away from either player – both are fantastic and have shown their qualities in Serie A, but it’s simply a different league, and one they are both suited to a little bit better.
Chelsea would be better off going after a player who is more suited to the Premier League, or better yet, someone who has already proven his quality in England. Immediately, former Chelsea academy player and current West Ham star Declan Rice comes to mind, but so does Wilfred Ndidi.
Of course, deals involving transfer fees, which would also require Chelsea to sell Jorginho in a separate deal, would be more complicated than a direct swap.
However, the Blues would be better off keeping Jorginho if they aren’t able to find a more suitable player. Swapping him for Pjanic seems very redundant, and might cause some unnecessary headaches.