Newcastle United have identified Jorginho as one of their main transfer targets, with the midfielder’s contract up Chelsea expire at the end of this season.
The 31-year-old has played at Stamford Bridge since 2018 and remains a key player for the Blues. He plays regularly in the Premier League and captains the side in their first game back after the World Cup break against Bournemouth on Tuesday 27 December.
However, his future remains in doubt as he is about to enter the final six months of his Chelsea contract, which will alert potential suitors, and there will be plenty of them.
The daily mail report that the Italy international has emerged as a ‘first target’ for Newcastle as they look to continue their impressive progress under Eddie Howe.
The Magpies are second in the Premier League, having lost just one of their first 16 games, and look set to be real contenders for a spot in the Champions League, if not more.
The report also names a range of talent from across Europe that Newcastle are eyeing, whether in the January transfer window or in the summer.
Fran Garcia, left-back from Rayo Vallecano, Kouadio Kone from Borussia Mönchengladbach and Nice midfielder Khepren Thuram have also been touted as possible signings.
Napoli striker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is also on the shopping list at St James’ Park, but he is unavailable for now.
Howe has been unbothered by Newcastle’s plans for January, highlighting how different the club’s situation is from this time last year, when its mega-rich owners had only recently taken over and were battling a relegation battle.
“I don’t really know, to be honest,” he said. “We are in a very different position than last year. We knew we had to take action (last January) and we knew we needed some good numbers to get the group up. Now we are in a different position.
“In addition, with Financial Fair Play, we are in a different position than last year, when we had no transfer fee legacy, so we had a gap there that we could attack. I’m not avoiding your question, but we’re not sure what the window should look like because we’re not sure what’s going to happen.’
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