Exploring Jorginho's Potential Transfer from Napoli to Manchester City

Pep Guardiola is currently plotting how to make Premier League champions Manchester City even stronger for next season.

City have blitzed their domestic division but will now push further in pursuit of the UEFA Champions League title: the ultimate ambition for the club's owners.

As part of the plan for the next stage, B/R sources believe Guardiola wants to strengthen in three positions: a centre-back is important, a central midfielder is crucial and another centre-forward would be ideal.

Focus on the three positions has been shared among the club's recruitment and scouting staff over the past year, and one of the men at the top of City's shopping list now is 26-year-old Jorginho—a holding midfield player who has been influential in Napoli's challenge for this season's Serie A title.

The transfer rumour hit Twitter on Monday after El Chiringuito journalist Jose Alvarez Haya dropped news that the player's agent had already met with City director of football Txiki Begiristain over a potential move:

He reported talks went well, and sources have since confirmed to B/R the Italy international is one of the men being pursued ahead of the summer transfer window.

It is understood Jorginho's representatives made the most of a trip to Manchester in March, when he played in a friendly against Argentina, and further talks have led City chiefs to believe a deal could be wrapped up quickly.

Clubs are having to get their business in order early due to the FIFA World Cup, which will limit the time when most players can discuss moves. The transfer window also shuts earlier this year, with Premier League clubs voting to close for business before the campaign gets under way.

City sources suggest other midfielders are still being explored due to a belief top target Fred is going to join Manchester United instead.

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United are also registering interest in Jorginho, according to David McDonnell of the Mirror, yet City are confident the player sees himself better suited to the style of play at the Etihad Stadium.

Beyond all this, Napoli would not be so willing to let one of their most influential players make a move to the Premier League without a fight—and right now they are not doing too badly themselves.

They are embroiled in an intriguing battle with Juventus to win Serie A, and James McGhie—host of the Sempre! SSC Napoli podcast—is torn about the likelihood of the deal going ahead.

"I think a lot of it depends on the next four games," he told B/R. "If we win the Scudetto, I can see him staying. If we don't win it, he may well think the best chance we had is gone and now is the time to move.

"On the flip side, he could just as easily think, 'This can't be topped here' and decide to leave a hero."

It's a complicated situation for a player to find themselves in. To show loyalty could also mean never challenging at the highest level again. To make the move is risky, as it means adapting to a new team, league and philosophy. He might not get a good run in the team and look back with regret.

Jorginho is going to cost £50 million if he leaves, but much could yet depend on the future of Maurizio Sarri, who is being linked as Antonio Conte's successor at Chelsea. It's the Napoli manager who seems to have lifted the player to a new level.

"Jorginho has really come to the fore this season, another example of how existing players from former regimes—in this case that of [Rafael] Benitez—have benefited from the influence of Sarri and his coaching. Jorginho plays what we call the role of a 'regista', a holding midfielder player, the anchor between defence and midfield.

"His ball retention is key, and he's always an option who drops deep from midfield to take the ball from the centre-backs before spinning and looking for a forward pass. He's not one for venturing too far forward," McGhie said.

"Where Jorginho has been most impressive is his pass-competition rate, which is always in the very high 90 per cent range."

The reason City are on the lookout for a new central midfielder is due to the fact Yaya Toure will be leaving the club, and they also want a long-term successor to Fernandinho.

The Italy international's passing made a big impression on Guardiola earlier in the season, and sources believe it was in discussions in the weeks that followed their second Champions League group match that Jorginho affirmed his interest in the club pursuing him.  

"Some fans may see the smaller, often overlooked or deemed menial, passes to be useless or stat-padding, but if those around him are making the right moves off the ball, then space opens up which Jorginho can exploit," McGhie said.

"He does this with either a deft through ball along the deck or a lobbed through ball to a forward who's made a darting run behind the full-backs, which we've seen often from Lorenzo Insigne at Napoli.

"In terms of whether he would thrive in a Guardiola system, for me it's not so much whether he'd fit in the system but whether he'd fit in the English game.

"It's a quicker game, more frenetic, and some could argue 'kick and rush', especially against the lower teams in the league.

"In Serie A, there's more time on the ball, which is down to a combination of Sarri's system and the Italian game, and I do feel that the pace of the English game could catch Jorgi out.

"However he's a smart player and I'm sure, if he did go, he would adapt."

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According to sources, City's scouting staff are convinced he would adapt and are now waiting for the next round of talks with agent Joao Santos.

Since the rumours of City's interest filtered into the public domain, Santos has attempted to play down the talk by telling Radio Marte (h/t Football Italia): "Given the way Jorginho has played this season, and his work with the Italian national team, it's normal that there are important teams following him.

"But if I speak with four or five teams who like Jorginho, that doesn't mean anything is done or that he'll leave."

Indeed, Napoli still believe there is a chance he could sign a new deal with them this summer.

Time will tell which way Jorginho wants to take his career, but if he wants to test himself in the Premier League, Guardiola is waiting.