Chelsea fans were given two reasons to jump for joy as the Premier League giants announced the signing of head coach Maurizio Sarri and defensive midfielder Jorginho, both from Serie A side Napoli, on Saturday.
After Friday the 13th turned out to be a sad day for the club as the Blues announced the sacking of Antonio Conte, Sarri’s arrival was imminent but Jorginho’s acquisition was a pleasant surprise for their fanbase.
“Maurizio Sarri is the new Chelsea head coach. He moves to Stamford Bridge following a successful three-year spell at Serie A side Napoli,” a club statement read.
“Jorginho has followed Maurizio Sarri from Napoli to Chelsea and in doing so becomes our first signing of the summer.”
The Brazilian-born Jorginho, 26, has signed for a fee reported to be around £57 million and will wear the No.5 jersey for the West Londoners.
Sarri may not have won a lot of trophies during his tenure in Naples, but the fact that he transformed the Partenopei into title contenders in his three seasons bodes well.
Napoli pushed Juventus all the way in the Serie A and were the only side that came close to knocking the Bianconeri off their perch in Italy under Sarri.
Of course, Jorginho was a vital cog in that setup and he was set to join rivals Manchester City before the Blues swooped in at the last minute, probably helped by the fact that they were appointing Sarri as the head coach as well.
The tough-tackling midfielder, proficient with the ball at his feet as well, is a regular for the Italian national side as well.
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Sarri will take charge of the Blues with immediate effect and he doesn’t have much time to set up the side as they take on Perth Glory in their first pre-season match on July 23.
They have a Community Shield final with Manchester City on August 5 to think about as well, while their Premier League campaign kicks off on August 11 when they travel to Huddersfield Town.