Chelsea somewhat surprisingly sold Jorginho to Arsenal in the January transfer window as they looked to recoup some of the millions that they had splurged on Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk, yet they haven’t properly replaced him.
The Italian had been a regular fixture for the Blues since joining from Napoli in 2018, playing over 200 times for the club, yet it looked as though Graham Potter didn’t fancy him. Chelsea’s loss is Mikel Arteta's gain.
They will have to wait until the summer to replace him, however, and with the Stamford Bridge side eyeing a move for Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella, he could well be the next Jorginho.
Italian news outlet Calciomerctoweb claim that both Liverpool and Chelsea are interested in making a summer move for Barella, who could cost around €50m (£44m) and considering their recent spending, that figure shouldn’t represent too much of an issue.
Could Nicolo Barella replace Jorginho at Chelsea?
Both Jorginho and Barella can count passing and through balls as their main strengths, as per WhoScored, meaning the 26-year-old could slot into the void left by the current Arsenal midfielder with ease and take up the mantle of being Chelsea’s chief passing maestro.
Indeed, this season, the duo have completed over 80% of their passes (84.6% to 81%) and made over 100 progressive passes each (169 to 133) via FBref, suggesting that their ability to circulate the ball, not only with accuracy, but also to forward areas, proves that the Inter star could be a solid heir to Jorginho.
Across 28 Serie A matches this term, Barella has scored five times, grabbed six assists and has averaged 1.6 key passes per game, demonstrating his attacking ability. Jorginho didn't exactly thrive in that area of the pitch, scoring just twice this term for the Blues, so the former could actually represent an upgrade.
Scoring goals from midfield is something that Todd Boehly's side desperately need, as they have found the net only 29 times in 30 league matches.
Fortunately, Barella isn't one to shirk his defensive duties either, with the player having averaged 1.3 tackles and 0.4 clearances per game while winning an impressive 57% of his total duels, clearly showing how strong he is in the tackle.
It’s no wonder he was lauded as being a “sensational talent” by journalist Maxi Angelo as far back as 2019, and it looks as though he now needs to move away from Italy in order to continue his development.
The Blues certainly have the funds to prise him away from Milan, and with players such as Fernandez playing alongside him, he could have wonderful success in London over the next few seasons if he made the move.