Chelsea Reportedly Want €60M Jorginho Amid Maurizio Sarri Rumours

Chelsea's interest in Napoli midfielder Jorginho may reportedly be key in finally completing a deal to bring in Maurizio Sarri as the club's new manager.

According to Tuttosport (h/t Football Italia), negotiations are ongoing between Chelsea and Napoli over Sarri, with the former said to be keen to appoint the coach as a successor to current boss Antonio Conte.

It's added that Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis wants to include Jorginho as part of the negotiations. The Blues are reportedly ready to pay €60 million (£53 million) for the player, which is €10 million (£9 million) more than Manchester City, who have long been linked with the Italy international.

The offer from Chelsea would exceed the release clause Sarri had in his Napoli contract, and as such, he could yet make the switch to Stamford Bridge along with Jorginho.

If the midfielder did make the move, it would be a big surprise. It was reported recently by Jamie Jackson of the Guardian that Premier League champions City were close to finalising a deal that would bring the 26-year-old to the Etihad Stadium.

Now it appears Chelsea are ready to battle for the player. Having Jorginho follow Sarri to London would represent a massive boost, as he is crucial to the style of football that was implemented at the San Paolo last season.

For a coach who likes his side to play possession-based football, Jorginho is a dream to have in midfield:

A feature of Napoli's play under Sarri last season was the two centre-backs splitting and Jorginho dropping into that space. From there, he was the man who orchestrated the team's devastating attacks with such elegance.

The traits Jorginho possesses would make him ideal for the way Pep Guardiola's City team operates, although the familiarity of Sarri would possibly be a big factor for the player, especially given the Premier League will represent a culture shock to the Italian.

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It's not completely clear what's going on at Chelsea despite the rumours surrounding both Sarri and Conte. 

According to Simon Stone of BBC Sport, while there are major doubts over his future, it's Conte who will start preparations for the 2018-19 season in earnest:

It means that if Sarri does come in, he will have to be quick in assessing targets and impressing what is an intricate style of football on the players he has available to him. Having Jorginho would expedite that process.

The player appears to have two attractive options to choose from in City and Chelsea. Still, while working under Sarri may appeal to him, it would be intriguing to see him dropped into a City side that played stunning football under Guardiola last season.