Chelsea midfielder Jorginho believes he's found his home in south west London after a difficult start to life at Stamford Bridge, and has hinted he wishes to stay for many years to come.
After being heavily linked with a move to their Premier League rivals Manchester City, who believed they themselves had a deal in place for the Italian international, he made the switch from Napoli to Chelsea in a deal worth £51.3m.
Since arriving from the Italian top-flight Jorginho has repeatedly been linked with a return to Serie A, but judging by what he's had to say ahead of this weekend's FA Cup final, he's feeling settled and at home in the UK.
“Of course, of course I do feel settled,” Jorginho said (via the Independent). “When I came here, everything was different. But I felt welcome straight away. It feels great after three years, and I know everyone here appreciates what I try to do for the club and for the people. So it feels like home now in England."
Referred to regularly as Chelsea's 'midfield metronome', Jorginho's current deal with the Champions League finalists is due to expire in 2023, but when probed regarding an extension he seemed very relaxed about the whole situation. Here's what he had to say:
“It’s definitely not the time to think about contracts with two finals to play! How could I want to leave the club? That’s not the point. It’s not the point even talking about it now. I’ve got two more years and like I said, I really feel at home here. So there’s no point actually even talking about it. And we have only just started under Thomas [Tuchel]- we’ve got a lot more to do here.”
Last month and somewhat controversially, Jorginho spoke with regards to his former boss Frank Lampard - claiming he wasn't ready for a job of this size and that his status as a club legend meant he "skipped some steps necessary for learning before moving to a big club."
It seems he's feeling good about the direction in which the team is travelling under Tuchel's management and is fully focused on the Champions League and FA Cup finals. When discussing the German he revealed:
“On the pitch he seems quite harsh, always shouting and going crazy. But then you meet him off the pitch and you say ‘is that the same person?’ Off the pitch he’s completely a nice guy, who talks to everyone, tries to understand everyone.
“When he shouts, it is nothing personal. He doesn’t take it personally. Because maybe other coaches they can take it personally; when they shout at someone all the time, maybe in the next game they’re not going to play. But with Thomas it’s not like that at all, it’s just that moment, and then after that it’s completely past.
“So we know that, and that’s why we don’t take it personally as well, when he shouts at someone. Sometimes when someone who has maybe been playing a bit less has the opportunity, they are ready, because they feel involved. If they weren’t feeling involved like that, maybe the results would be different.”
Source : 90min