Chris Sutton said he was taken aback that Chelsea allowed Jorginho to join Arsenal as he believes the midfielder can help the North London side secure the Premier League title.
The Blues brought in eight players in January, including club-record signing Enzo Fernandez on deadline day.
There was only one big departure, however; Jorginho’s move to Arsenal.
The Italy international was in the final months of his Chelsea contract, and he was not expected to sign an extension at the end of the season.
His exit was pretty much only a matter of time.
Still, Sutton believes Arsenal has gotten the better end of this particular deal.
“I’m surprised he’s gone to Arsenal and Chelsea are helping Arsenal,” the former Blues striker told the Daily Mail.
“I think, from Arsenal’s point of view, he may be the signing which helps him win the Premier League.
“I think that he’s a really talented player.
“This looks like a compromise because they’re saying ‘we’re not going to get Moises Caicedo, and we’re not going to get Declan Rice in this window’.
“At 31 it’s a good piece of business, for £10million or £12m it’s cheap as chips.
“From Arsenal’s point of view, that’s a 10. I really think that’s a no-brainer and a smart piece of business.”
In fairness, Chelsea were likely confident that they would be able to secure Fernandez’s transfer, and they clearly needed to offload players to make space in the squad for the new signing.
Jorginho, who would have Chelsea on a free transfer at the end of the season, was arguably a good candidate.
There are obviously arguments against his sale, including N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic’s injury records which could prove problematic for Potter.
The Blues, however, are clearly confident that Fernandez’s presence can significantly negates these potential problems.
Keep up to date with all the latest Chelsea news and opinion by following The Chelsea Chronicle’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
