Former England manager Fabio Capello has admitted that he has been proven wrong about just how talented Chelsea midfielder Jorginho actually is.
The Blues midfield ace, who played a key role in the club's run to lifting the UEFA Champions League crown last month, has been in impressive form at this summer's rearranged European Championship, helping Italy reach the quarter-final stages of the competition.
The 29-year-old, formerly of Napoli, has started all four of the Italian's matches at this summer's festival of football, including their hard-earned 2-1 last-16 triumph over Austria at Wembley on Saturday evening.
Responsible for keeping the defensive-line protected, Jorginho has been nothing short of outstanding in the central-defensive midfield role, keeping the midfield in check and allowing the likes of Manuel Locatelli and Nicolo Barella to motor forward and make things happen higher up the pitch.
With his performances earning plenty of attention, Jorginho's fellow countryman - Capello - has heaped praise on his shoulders, admitting that did not used to be "convinced" by the Chelsea star.
"Jorginho, he’s Mancini’s main man,” Capello told Corriere dello Sport. "He was a player who didn’t convince me completely.
"But in the matches I saw him live, I watched him carefully, and he is a midfielder who knows how to stay on the field and direct the team.
"The fact that Italy didn’t concede many goals is due to his ability to intervene at the right time in the actions of the opponents."
With Jorginho, certainly so far, having played a huge role in Italy's Euro 2020 adventure, his performances may have changed Blues head coach Thomas Tuchel's mind about looking to source a new central-midfielder this summer. The German is keen to bolster his midfield options and is believed to have rekindled the club's interest in West Ham United star Declan Rice.
But with Jorginho impressing, and Rice valued at around £80million, Tuchel may not see a reason to explore that avenue any further.
However, it is worth pointing out, of course, that players can perform very differently with their international squad than how they do with their clubs. With that said, Tuchel may still have reasoning to his thinking to sign a new midfielder.
But if the Italy ace continues to impress on the international stage, Tuchel may not see a reason to spend big-money on a new midfielder, instead saving money within his budget to launch a big bid for Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland.
