Report: Club want to sell £27m Arsenal target to fund deal for Chelsea’s Jorginho

Follow us on Google Discover

Roma are planning to sell Arsenal target Amadou Diawara in order to fund a deal for Chelsea’s Jorginho, according to Tuttomercatoweb.

Frank Lampard’s loss could be Mikel Arteta’s gain this summer.

While Jorginho has slipped down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge thanks to the sudden emergence of teen sensation Billy Gilmour, an experienced Italian international remains a key part of the Chelsea plans going forward.

On the pitch, he is the man who makes the Blues tick, even if Lampard’s Chelsea are not quite as meticulous and deliberate in their build-up play as Maurizio Sarri’s exasperating incarnation.

Off the pitch, Jorginho’s vocal leadership has made him a respected and highly-valued presence too, particularly in a squad chock-full of talented but callow youngsters.

But a player of this ilk is never going to accept sitting on the bench behind a 19-year-old Scot, especially with the European Championships looming on the horizon.

A Roma side under new and ambitious owners know that too.

And, according to TMW, chief executive Guido Fienga travelled to London to discuss a deal with Chelsea which would see ex-Napoli playmaker Jorginho become the midfield metronome at the heart of Paulo Fonseca’s side.

And this is where Arsenal come in.

TMW adds that Roma would have to sell another ex-Napoli ace in order to finance a deal for Chelsea’s £50 million man.

Fortunately, cashing in on Diawara should not prove to be much of a challenge, with Arsenal just one of many interested parties.

Roma are demanding £27 million for the 23-year-old, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

Diawara certainly shares Jorginho’s ability to conduct the orchestra from the centre of park, completing 89 per cent of his passes in Serie A last season.

A neat and tidy ball-player might not get the juices flowing but, if Arteta wants his teams to dominate possession in the manner of his mentor Pep Guardiola, then Diawara could be Arsenal’s answer to a Sergio Busquetts or a Rodri.