"Take Jorginho out and get rid of him" - Steve Nicol says Chelsea will have a better midfield if they sign 25-year-old player

Former Liverpool fullback Steve Nicol reckons that replacing Jorginho with Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong could make Chelsea a stronger side in midfield. The ESPN FC panel discussed how necessary it was for the Catalan club to sell the Netherlands international this summer to balance their books and make more signings.

This was when the host asked Nicol what he thought of the 25-year-old in a Chelsea shirt. The pundit replied:

"Listen, Frenkie de Jong's a great player and so great players can play for any team. If you want to take Jorginho out and get rid of him and put De Jong in, then I think that makes them [Blues] better. In my mind, I don’t get De Jong as a Chelsea player, but at the same time, you need to get better.”

Manchester United have been linked with a move for the Dutchman since the beginning of the transfer window, however, they have failed to wrap up his signing. More importantly, the player himself reportedly does not prefer a switch to Old Trafford and is adamant to continue with Barcelona.

Although the ESPN pundit finds it difficult to imagine De Jong in a Blues jersey, the west London club don't think so and reportedly hold an interest in the 25-year-old. Writing in his column for Caught Offside, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano shared:

“Chelsea have been interested in Frenkie de Jong for weeks, but they know that Man United have an agreement with Barcelona, and also that Frenkie as of today has no plans to leave Spain. So far, De Jong remains on the same idea – so Chelsea will not submit offers until they know that Frenkie has different ideas.”

So it could be assumed that a move to Stamford Bridge cannot be completely ruled out for the former Ajax man, but whether Thomas Tuchel's side register a bid depends on the player's wish. However, it is more likely that De Jong will be paired in midfield alongside Jorginho rather than in place of him as opined by Nicol.

The Italian, after all, has been quite consistent for the Blues throughout his four-year tenure, having made 188 appearances and scoring 26 goals. Jorginho's contract at Stamford Bridge expires in 2023.

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Chelsea boss sends strong message to striker Timo Werner

Timo Werner had earlier commented that he would like regular game time in the build up to the Qatar World Cup, meanwhile hinting that he would be 'happy everywhere' if he scored goals. However, manager Thomas Tuchel does not quite agree with the striker's attitude and has suggested him to fight for his spot. He said, via Sky Sports:

"Show quality, take your place and defend your place. I would be one of the happiest people on the planet having a contract with Chelsea. If he said this, I do not understand.”

Since joining the Blues in 2020, the Germany international has scored 23 goals and provided 21 assists in 89 appearances across all competitions.