COMMENT: Chelsea and Jorginho. They'd better get a move on. Time's ticking. In less than two months the Champions League winner could sign away his future - and so leave another huge void for the club's new owners to fill...
Jorginho and Barcelona? For now, the stars are aligning. With his current deal running down, a first move by Chelsea to extend the relationship has been rejected. Attempts to secure Jorginho to similar terms to what he's already earning immediately dismissed earlier last month. The player's camp unimpressed that initial demands of a 20 per cent increase were ignored by the new board.
And as the ball was knocked back into the club's half of the pitch, Joao Santos, Jorginho's agent, was being spotted in Barcelona. Near the Nou Camp. With Blaugrana sources declaring to trusted confidants in the local press that meetings have been held between the hierarchy and the player's prime representative.
Mateu Alemany, Barca's transfer fixer, and Jordi Cruyff, their recently promoted technical director, were both present at the summit. And the message was clear: Jorginho is a priority. So much so, that he is their chosen heir for captain Sergi Busquets. Alemany, we understand, was the first to raise Jorginho's signing, before Cruyff and then Xavi were consulted. And it didn't take long for all three men to agree on the Italy international.
As we say, things are falling into place. Juventus and AC Milan may've sounded out Santos about bringing the former Napoli midfielder back to Italy, but the detail and assurances in Alemany's proposal is what has impressed both player and agent the most.
Everything will be played through Jorginho, Santos was informed. He will arrive with the expectation of taking charge of their young midfield. To boss it. Pedri. Pablo Torre. Gavi. It'll be Jorginho's brief to command these young tyros. As Alemany relayed, "everything will go through him".
A European champion - for both club and country. The player Pep Guardiola wanted to build his Manchester City midfield around. For Barca's front office, Jorginho is 'it'. Xavi not only making it clear he wants to work with the midfielder, but that he could've seen himself playing alongside Jorginho in that great Barca team of Guardiola's.
The pitch was nigh perfect. An Italy international, but still with his Santa Catarina roots coursing through him, the prospect of being the key man for Barcelona - as a Brazilian - will be almost impossible to resist. The words of Alemany has flattered him. The role they have planned excites him. For the moment, Barca don't have a commitment, but near enough the next best thing. The word coming from inside the Ciutat Esportiva that Jorginho will give Barca first refusal. The feeling today is as much as Alemany wants Jorginho, the player feels the same about Barca.
Alternatives have now been put on the backburner. Martin Zubimendi, despite signing a recent five-year deal with Real Sociedad, remains on Barca's shortlist. But with a buyout clause set at €60m and a career still in the development stage, he really is no match to what Jorginho offers.
Indeed, such is the enthusiasm for the Blues midfielder that a January move hasn't been ruled out. Barca are prepared to put forward a cut-price proposal to Chelsea if they agree to release Jorginho from the final six months of his deal. It would mean the player writing off any type of pay-out, though with Gerard Pique's sudden retirement announcement, there's a confidence of an attractive signing-on bonus being found from the freed up funds.
A done deal? Not quite. Particularly given recent history. It's barely three months ago we were saying the same thing about Cesar Azpilicueta. For many in Cataluyna, it was a matter of i's and t's. But somehow Todd Boehly managed to convince Azpilicueta to rethink. The decision to pull back from Bosman negotiations and instead commit to a new two-year contract something no-one inside Barca saw coming.
Which, in part, is why Barca would be willing to bring forward Jorginho's arrival in January. The longer nothing is signed, the better chance Boehly and co have of convincing the 31 year-old to stay.
Santos, for his part, is leaving everything wide open. The agent insisting this week that "it's not true that I've met Mateu Alemany" and that “our priority is to extend with Chelsea". Of course in Barcelona they understand the game being played. For Santos, there's no reason at this stage to burn any bridge. Not with fans. Nor with Boehly.
But inside the Nou Camp. Inside the Ciutat Esportiva. Directors and coaching staff are convinced a deal for Jorginho can be clinched. If Chelsea don't get a move on, they could lose their Champions League winner in less than two months.
