Chelsea defender Thiago Silva spoke of his shock that Jorginho was allowed to leave for Arsenal during the January transfer window.
In a deal that could low-key be the worst of the Todd Boehly era at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues have been criticised for their big spending on young players over the course of the last 18 months.
But while few of these stars have hit the ground running,
There is at least an opportunity for them to turn their Chelsea careers around.
It is often cited that there is a lack of leadership, though, around Stamford Bridge,
And offloading the experienced Jorginho to Arsenal in a surprise January deal worth just €11.3 million deprived the Blues of that valuable quality.
Jorginho’s influence being felt at Arsenal
The 31-year-old had spent more than four years at Chelsea, playing over 200 matches for the club before being transferred across London for a fee that was significantly below his Expected Transfer Value (xTV) of €18m.
Although a relatively unspectacular player in terms of what he did in midfield,
Thiago Silva explained in an interview with ESPN Brasil that Jorginho brought a good deal more to the Blues than might have been apparent
They admits he was shocked the transfer was completed.
“It was for a direct rival, but these are football things, it happens. He wanted to stay in England because he has family here. There are things that we have no control over,
But we have to understand the player’s side of things,” the centre-back explained.
“I know we have a lot of work ahead of us, especially as we have lost one of our great leaders in the dressing room. Jorginho is a guy who spoke a lot and this hole will remain, but we have to move on. We didn’t expect him to leave, but it has happened. We have to make up for his absence in the best possible way.”
And though Jorginho has struggled to break into the Arsenal team,
Marquee summer signing Declan Rice has underlined his importance to the club.
