Jorginho Says He's Not Maurizio Sarri's 'Golden Boy' at Chelsea

Jorginho says he is not manager Maurizio Sarri's "golden boy" at Chelsea and believes he has a normal relationship with the Italian at Stamford Bridge.

The midfielder followed Sarri to Chelsea from Napoli in July 2018, and he spoke about his relationship with the 60-year-old in an interview with Dominic Fifield at the Guardian:

“Look, I have a completely normal relationship with Sarri. I don't go out for dinner with him. I don't go round to his house. Our work is very professional: he speaks and explains what he wants me to do, and I try to implement what he wants on the pitch. I am just a player who can help him do the things he wants his team to do. He's shouted at me when I've got things wrong, just as he has everyone else. I certainly don't consider myself to be his golden boy."

CARLO HERMANN/Getty Images

Jorginho has been widely regarded as Sarri's favourite given he's been a virtual ever-present in the Premier League this season. He's made 37 appearances in all competitions already in the campaign.

The Italy international began his first season in English football well and saw plenty of the ball:

His inclusion in the starting XI meant N'Golo Kante has been shifted out of his favoured defensive-midfield position to accommodate the Italy international, but Jorginho's influence has waned as the season has progressed.

Sarri has spoken about why he wants Jorginho to be his deepest midfielder and not Kante:

Teams have been able to neutralise Jorginho's effectiveness by man-marking the deep-lying playmaker, and supporters have not been afraid to voice their frustrations at the midfielder:

Sarri has defended the 27-year-old and spoken about what he brings to the team:

There seems no doubt that Sarri has complete faith in Jorginho even though he has struggled at times this season. While he has not deserved the criticism he's received from Chelsea supporters, he still has work to do to convince them of his worth.