Jorginho agent putting pressure on Chelsea for new contract, dangles Sarri connection

The agent of Chelsea midfielder Jorginho, João Santos, has never been shy about talking to the media, whether that be to talk up his main man’s potential Sarri reunion, talk down his main man’s potential Sarri reunion, or, just to talk, in general, about a potential Sarri reunion since Sarri’s actually out of a job at the moment.

That’s not to say that Jorginho will ever play for Sarri again — the player himself has certainly dissuaded the notion that his career is entirely dependent and beholden to his former Empoli and Napoli coach — but it’s an easy crutch to use to not only keep the spotlight on, but to ensure that his future remains an important consideration behind the scenes as well.

Case in point: Jorginho’s contract at Chelsea.

Since the potential move to Juventus didn’t happen this summer — hard to keep those rumors going after Sarri was sacked in early August — the agent’s main focus now is Jorginho’s next contract. The 28-year-old is halfway through the five-year deal he signed with Chelsea in 2018, and that means it’s going to be decision-time in the summer. If Chelsea were to sell, that would be the ideal time. Jorginho will be 29 by then, so any long-term contract he signs then is likely to be his last big deal in top level football.

It’s an important inflection point in his career, and thus his agent’s, so laying the groundwork for future negotiations is quite important indeed.

“Jorge is doing very well at Chelsea. He has a two and a half year contract, talking about renewal in this period is very difficult, but the Chelsea officials really like Jorge and so we should talk about it next summer. Chelsea are a great team, they win titles or fight to do so.”

-João Santos; source: Radio Sportiva via Sport Witness

Hey, Chelsea, I heard you like Jorginho. You know who else likes Jorginho? All the big clubs in Italy, especially the one that will hire Sarri next. Act now to ensure he doesn’t leave you for one of those teams!

“Jorginho has a personal and professional bond with [Sarri] that is very strong. We’re waiting to see where Sarri goes, and if it’s a big club in Italy, Jorginho could follow him.”

-João Santos; source: Calciomercato via Daily Mail

Would leaving Chelsea really be the best move for Jorginho? In a sporting sense, possibly. Would he want to leave? In a financial sense, probably not. Should Chelsea even consider committing 4-5 more years to him? In just about every sense, definitely not.

But we’re not the ones making the decisions and this saga’s just beginning.