Newcastle stance on Jorginho transfer revealed as Chelsea star’s priority next move is identified
Newcastle have turned down the chance to sign Chelsea midfielder Jorginho, with the Magpies instead opting to focus on younger players, according to a report.
The 31-year-old was allegedly offered to Eddie Howe and his team, with the player now entering the final six months of his current deal.
It’s thought that Newcastle seriously considered the prospect of signing the serial-trophy-winning Italy international, but decided he was too old for their project.
Jorginho remains a key player for Chelsea and has started 12 of their 15 opening league matches so far under Graham Potter.
He played the full 90 minutes of Chelsea’s first game back following the World Cup break – the a 2-0 win over Bournemouth on Tuesday.
The Brazil-born player has also captained his side on multiple occasions and has been key to their success in recent years.
In fact, in 2021 Jorginho was a contender for the Ballon D’or, finishing in third place after winning the European Championships with Italy and the Champions League with Chelsea, which was the best performance from a blues player since Frank Lampard was runner-up in 2005.
He also remains on penalty duties with his trademark hop, skip and jump style and has scored three goals in all competitions this season.
Overall, since making his £57m move to Stamford Bridge from Napoli in 2018, he has made 208 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 29 goals and making nine assists in the process.
As well as his Champions League victory in 2021, Jorginho has also won a Europa League, a UEFA Super Cup, two FA Cups, a League Cup and a Club World Cup with the London club.
Operating generally from the defensive midfield position, he has been a vital player and will be difficult to replace, especially with N’golo Kante also potentially departing the club.
Jorginho doesn’t fit with Howe’s transfer plan
However, whilst his quality is undisputable, Jorginho simply does not fit the description of players that Newcastle are looking to sign this winter.
According to Football Insider, Howe would prefer to sign players under the age of 30 as he looks to build a strong team for the future.
Kieran Trippier, 32, and Dan Burn, 30, were signed last January, but at that time Newcastle were facing the threat of relegation, which limited their options in the transfer market.
Now, as they currently sit in third place after 16 matches, while they are looking for reinforcements Howe is still sticking to his plan of buying young, hungry players.
Of late, the Magpies have been linked to the likes of Mykhalo Mudryk and Marcus Thuram; youthful attackers with the potential to score the goals to keep them in the race for the top four.
Bruno Guimaraes, Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff have been Howe’s three in midfield in recent matches, and nobody can argue with his team selections considering their fantastic league performances.
Considering these latest developments, the midfielder will have to look elsewhere for what will likely be the last big contract of his career.
In fact, a move to the Serie A could be on the cards, as Jorginho has reportedly said that he is ‘keen to return’ to his former club Napoli, according to Football Italia.
What is for sure is that the Italy international will be leaving Stamford Bridge. If not in January, then at the end of the season and his next destination will almost definitely not be St James’ Park.
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