Manchester United Transfer News: Jorginho's Agent Talks Napoli Exit Rumours

The agent for Napoli midfielder and reported Manchester United target Jorginho has said he fears the player may be sold by the Serie A side in the summer.

The Italy international has been one of the key members of Maurizio Sarri's exceptional team, dictating play from the base of midfield with elegance and effectiveness.

Even so, speaking to Radio Crc (h/t Goal), Jorginho's representative Joao Santos has said the Partenopei may move to replace the 26-year-old with a younger option:

"If a player like [Lucas] Torreira arrives from Sampdoria, then that will require an important investment, and Jorginho could be sacrificed to make way. I think we'll discuss a renewal at the end of the season, as it's not the moment to talk about that, because he still has a long contract. He wants to stay, although we’ll have to see if Napoli agree with that."

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Santos went on to say that if Napoli were to sell one of their midfielders, then Jorginho would be more likely to make way than Amadou Diawara, "who is younger."

As noted in the report, United have been tipped as possible suitors for Jorginho, as he is stylistically similar to Michael Carrick; the Red Devils playmaker is set to retire at the end of the current campaign.

However, as relayed by the Everything Napoli Twitter account, Jorginho's agent has expressed some doubts about the Manchester weather in the past:

If Napoli do want to move him on and United are interested, then the Brazilian-born midfielder would surely be tempted by the prospect of Old Trafford.

It's easy to see where Jorginho would fit in with the Red Devils. Jose Mourinho is struggling to find balance in midfield while accommodating all of the attacking talent in his squad. He doesn't appear to have an option who will bring out the best of players like Nemanja Matic and particularly Paul Pogba.

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Jorginho, who sits in front of the back four and distributes with precision, would knit things together tremendously.

As noted by WhoScored.com, the midfielder is always keen to get on the ball:

The Napoli man makes things happen. Often, players in that position are content with lateral passes, but Jorginho moves the ball with intelligence and intent from that withdrawn berth.

Napoli channel their possession play through him as a result, and Jorginho relishes that responsibility. With that in mind, football writer Liam Canning believes he would be a fine candidate to step in at United:

It would be a big surprise if Napoli sought to actively sell their No. 8. Jorginho has become one of the best in the world in this role, and while Torreira and Diawara are talents, they're each a tier below the Azzurri star.

The job Jorginho does is a similar one to what Carrick used to carry out in his pomp and would be well suited to a team that seeks to dominate possession of the ball as Napoli do. With that in mind, United would have to make some tactical tweaks of their own if they were to pull any deal off.