"Of course, I love Chelsea" - 30-year-old confirms desire to stay at the club amid rumors of exit

Chelsea midfielder Jorginho has claimed that he intends to stay with the club this summer amid transfer speculation linking him to Serie A giants Juventus.

Jorginho, who is in the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge, has been a mainstay in the Blues' midfield for the last four seasons. Since joining from Napoli for an initial fee of £50 million in 2018, he has helped the club lift four trophies.

The 30-year-old, who finished third in the Ballon d'Or voting last year, was instrumental in Chelsea's UEFA Champions League win in the 2020-21 season.

But his performances suffered a dip last season and it's rumored that Juventus are keen to lure him away from London.

However, speaking to Football London, Jorginho clarified the air about his future at the Premier League club.

The former Napoli man said:

"Of course, I love Chelsea. I feel very well here and of course, I'd like to stay. But you know, there is a lot going on and we don't know. As I said before, I am here now and I have contract and I love to be here, I feel very well here. So I don't think about moving anywhere."

The deep-lying midfielder continued:

"For many years now [there is speculation]. Every single year! I don't think like this. I just think about where I am and focus 100%. I'm at Chelsea and I think about Chelsea 100%."

Shedding light on next season's challenge, he added:

"The motivation is that I do what I love. This was my dream and so the motivation is that I do what I dreamed when I was a kid. I dreamt that I could win – and so if I win the same title, it is still special. I motivate myself to work hard, push hard every single day because I do what I love."

During the 2021-22 season, Jorginho featured in 49 matches across all competitions, registering nine goals and four assists in the process. Overall, he has scored 28 goals and provided eight assists in 188 appearances for the Blues.

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Chelsea close in on Kalidou Koulibaly

The Blues are reportedly close to signing Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly for €40 million to bolster their defence, as per journalist Fabrice Hawkins. The 31-year-old is expected to sign a three-year contract with the west London outfit.

Koulibaly, who is in the final year of his current deal, has been at the heart of Napoli's defense for eight seasons. During the 2021-22 season, he helped the Serie A club keep 13 clean sheets in 34 matches across all competitions.