Chelsea midfielder Jorginho has confirmed that he came close to joining Manchester City in 2018 before he signed for the Londoners.
The Italian enjoyed an impressive four-and-a-half-year spell at Napoli up until the end of the 2017/18 campaign.
Maurizio Sarri, who managed Jorginho at Napoli, took over at Chelsea that summer. He brought the midfielder with him as the Blues signed him for around £50m.
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Jorginho has been criticised at times but he has shone under Thomas Tuchel. He helped the Blues win the Champions League last season and later that summer he won Euro 2020 with Italy.
Chelsea face Manchester City on Saturday afternoon in the Premier League. Ahead of that game (as cited by Football London), Jorginho has confirmed that he came “close” to joining City in 2018:
“It was close, but it didn’t happen.
“That’s how it works sometimes in football. I’m very, very happy at Chelsea, it’s a massive club.
“Everything here at the moment is definitely so good because everyone is humble and that’s why we’re doing very well.”
Jorginho went onto shut down suggestions that he was only able to join Chelsea because ex-Napoli boss Sarri was in charge:
“[People who say] I got here because of Sarri because if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here.
“They say I don’t deserve to be at this club because I wasn’t good enough, nah, that isn’t right; I have my value.”
Ahead of Saturday’s game against Man City, Thomas Tuchel has insisted that Chelsea “will not be in depression” if they are beaten:
“Before we talk about the result we need to focus on the input and what we need to deliver. We need to accept that you need the momentum and a bit of luck on your side. Tomorrow after the game we can judge what result it is and if it’s deserved.
“If we win tomorrow we will not be crowned as champions and if city win they will not be champions and we will not be in depression. It’s a match we like to watch at this kind of level. We worked hard for it and we feel ready for this kind of competition and we are very well aware what it takes to have the opportunity to beat them once again.”