Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Jorginho not looking to leave Stamford Bridge; Graham Potter wants Blues to target Juventus midfielder, and more - November 3, 2022
Chelsea beat Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in their final UEFA Champions League group game on Wednesday (November 2). Raheem Sterling and Denis Zakaria got on the score sheet to help the Blues finish atop Group E.
Meanwhile, Jorginho's agent Joao Santos has said that his client wants to stay with the Blues. Elsewhere, new manager Graham Potter wants the Blues to target a Juventus midfielder in January.
Job done. 🤝
@WhaleFinApp | #UCL https://t.co/5gY9oOYJcV
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on November 3, 2022:
Jorginho not looking to leave Stamford Bridge
Joao Santos has said that Jorginho is not in talks to move to Barcelona. The Italian midfielder is in the final year of his contract with Chelsea but is yet to sign a new deal. The 30-year-old remains an integral part of Potter's setup but is reportedly wanted at the Camp Nou.
However, speaking to Relevo's Matteo Moretto, as cited by Caught Offside, Santos said that Jorginho's priority is to stay at Stamford Bridge.
“I have never met Mateu Alemany. Our priority is the renewal with Chelsea. The only club I have spoken to in recent weeks is Chelsea,” said Santos.
Jorginho has appeared 16 times across competitions for the Blues this season, scoring thrice. The 30-year-old recently played his 200th game for the club.
Graham Potter wants Chelsea to target Adrien Rabiot
Graham Potter is eager to add Adrien Rabiot to his roster this winter, according to Fichajes via Caught Offside.
The French midfielder was a target for Manchester United this summer, but the Red Devils signed Casemiro instead. Chelsea remain in urgent need of midfield reinforcements and have turned their attention to the 27-year-old Rabiot.
The Blues are sweating on the future of N'Golo Kante and Jorginho, who will become free agents next summer. Potter reckons Rabiot could help mitigate the situation and wants him at Stamford Bridge in January.
The Frenchman has four goals in 13 games for Juventus this season but is not a first choice in Turin. The Bianconeri are likely to let Rabiot leave for a suitable bid.
Graham Potter pleased with Denis Zakaria's performance
Graham Potter is pleased with Denis Zakaria's performance on Wednesday. The Swiss midfielder joined Chelsea this summer on loan from Juventus but only made his club debut in midweek. The 25-year-old marked his first game for the Blues with a goal.
Speaking after the game, Potter was full of praise for Zakaria.
"Before the game, I told him to be himself, and I thought he did that well. He showed his quality, won the ball back, helped with our attacking play. Obviously to score was fantastic, you saw the quality that he has," said Potter.
He continued:
"We see it in training as well; he can hit the ball. So I think it was a nice goal for him, a nice goal for the team. It was an important goal for us, so I’m happy for him that he contributed to the team performance and also to score. It’s nice."
ON HIS DEBUT! 🤗
#UCL https://t.co/CVtNIa3HT1
Potter added that despite being frustrated, Zakaria showed exemplary conduct behind the scenes.
"As you would imagine, he’s been frustrated and disappointed when he isn’t playing. That’s the life of a player, but he’s handled himself really well. He’s kept himself fit, trained really hard, supported the team, supported his teammates in a really good way," said Potter.
He added:
"When you do that you give yourself a chance to perform when you’re given an opportunity at this club. So credit to him, and you could see everyone was so happy for him. It’s great for him; it’s a great story for the whole group I think."
Zakaria could make his Premier League debut for the Blues against Arsenal this weekend.