Newcastle United want Jorginho and have made the Chelsea midfielder a ‘prime target’ for the January transfer window.
That’s according to the Daily Mail, who claim that Newcastle want to sign a holding midfield player in 2023.
Jorginho has popped onto their radar, seemingly preferring a deep-lying playmaker over a destroyer in that holding role.
Jorginho is out of contract at Chelsea in the summer and could simply walk away from Stamford Bridge for nothing.
The Blues struck a deal worth up to £57million for Jorginho in 2018, prising him away from Napoli.
Seeing that kind of asset leave for nothing would be a blow, and Newcastle may have hope of a cut-price January deal.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has wanted Jorginho for years
This rumour may sound a little strange, but Newcastle boss Howe is the key here.
The Sun reported in 2017 that Howe wanted to lure Jorginho to Bournemouth but an £18million bid was rejected by Napoli; probably a smart decision given that they tripled their cash a year later.
Howe may well have continued to admire Jorginho from afar over the last few years and realises this is the chance to finally sign him.
Newcastle’s approach has mostly been to sign players with resale value – the likes of Sven Botman, Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak.
Yet if Newcastle see the chance to bring in an experienced Premier League player with the right character, they will take it.
We have seen that with Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood and Nick Pope, striking that blend between youthful exuberance and proven quality.
Jorginho would bring that experienced head at the base of the Newcastle midfield and he speaks Brazilian having been born there – possibly key to a midfield trio with Bruno and Joelinton.
With Chelsea so far unable to secure a new contract for Jorginho, Newcastle are now a team to watch.
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