Manchester United, Liverpool Target Jorginho Admits Fondness for Premier League

Napoli midfielder Jorginho has suggested he could be open to a Premier League move in future after admitting his admiration for England, with Manchester United and Liverpool said to be circling.

The Brazil-born playmaker spoke to Football Italia after Lorenzo Insigne converted a late penalty to draw 1-1 with England in an international friendly at Wembley on Tuesday. When asked if he liked the host country, the 26-year-old replied: "Yes, very much!"

United and Liverpool have been two of the most frequently linked sides said to be interested in Jorginho, although the report noted Manchester City and Arsenal are also among his admirers.

His consistency in central midfield has been a major boon for Napoli as they challenge Juventus for the Serie A crown—sitting two points off the leaders—and commentator Adam Summerton hailed him as a rare talent:

Jorginho has built a reputation as one of the Italian top flight's more reliable midfield stars in recent seasons, having moved to Italy from Brazil as a child before joining the academy of Hellas Verona, whom he left in January 2014.

The Azzurri maestro isn't known as a flashy midfielder and is largely relied upon as a possession player, much like United veteran Michael Carrick, who is set to retire from football at the end of this season. Marouane Fellaini also looks set to depart the Red Devils' midfield when his contract expires in June.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have already snagged the services of Naby Keita from RB Leipzig, but the impending expiration date of Emre Can's contract could leave a gap in their ranks.

Italian football writer Adam Digby surveyed Jorginho's performance against England on Tuesday and concluded the Napoli man is superior to a certain Paris Saint-Germain star when played in the same role:

La Repubblica (h/t Metro) recently reported Napoli expect Jorginho to end up at Old Trafford ahead of Anfield and would be willing to sell for a substantial fee, with Lucas Torreira ready to arrive from Sampdoria as his alleged replacement.

United manager Jose Mourinho may have inadvertently indicated he's keeping a particular eye on the player, too, as suggested by Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News:

Jorginho also started in Italy's 2-0 friendly defeat to Argentina at the Etihad Stadium on Friday, after which the Mirror (h/t MailOnline's Jaime Wright) reported United had met with the player's agent to discuss a £50 million move.

Napoli remain in the mix to win their first Scudetto in 28 years, an achievement that could yet convince Jorginho to stay, but a move to England seems plausible after he hinted at his willingness to join the Premier League ranks.