Napoli ahead of Barcelona in the race to sign veteran Chelsea midfielder
With Chelsea midfielder Jorginho in the last six months of his contract at the club, the midfielder’s future is up in the air.
And according to the Evening Standard, Napoli are leading Barcelona in the race to sign the 31-year-old, in case he does not reach an agreement with Chelsea over a new contract.
Jorginho is understood to have already rejected a new contract proposal from Chelsea. The Italian international has prioritised staying at Stamford Bridge but is seeking a slight increase in wages from £120,000 per week to £150,000 per week.
However, he remains locked in negotiations with the club officials over a new deal. But in case an agreement is not finalised, Jorginho could leave Chelsea as a free agent.
And, as per the report, Napoli are currently ahead of Barcelona in the race to sign Jorginho, should he become available for a Bosman deal in the summer.
Barça have been credited with an interest in Jorginho for quite some time now, with reports even suggesting that there had been talks with his agent, Joao Santos, who refuted those claims.
The Catalan club’s director, Mateu Alemany, is hunting for free agents in the market due to the club’s financial situation. And Jorginho has emerged as a target to reinforce the midfield amidst uncertainty over the future of Sergio Busquets.
However, Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez is preferring a move for Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi ahead of Jorginho, which has put Napoli in front in the transfer race.
Speaking about the midfielder’s future, his agent had recently said: “We’ve received a proposal from Chelsea to sign a new contract so it’s our priority to discuss with Chelsea.
“Napoli interest? We’d be happy of their interest, it’s a special club for Jorginho but there’s nothing as of now.”
As iterated earlier, Jorginho is prioritising staying at Chelsea. But if negotiations do not go according to plans, he could be on the move.
Whether Barcelona decide to swoop in for Jorginho or his Chelsea teammate N’Golo Kante, who is also a target, will be determined by how their contract negotiations pan out.
