Newcastle United are believed to be interested in signing Chelsea midfielder Jorginho in the New Year, with the Italy international facing an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge.

What's the word?

According to journalist Craig Hope, the 31-year-old is one of the players whom Magpies sporting director Dan Ashworth is "looking at" ahead of the January transfer window, with the northeast side keen to bolster their midfield ranks.

In the attached piece for the Daily Mail, Hope reveals that Ashworth and co are currently 'drawing up a shortlist of targets' for when the market re-opens next month, with the former Napoli maestro said to be one figure who the club are keeping tabs on.

The report suggests that the Blues are currently 'reluctant' to hand the 46-cap gem a new deal with only six months remaining on his current contract in west London, with that fact offering the chance for those at St James' Park to pounce, particularly amid the prospect of securing a cut-price agreement in the upcoming window.

He's a 'game-changer'

The centre of the park has seemingly become a "priority" area for the Tynesiders - as previously stated by Hope - with manager Eddie Howe likely looking to strengthen in that department amid this current push for Champions League qualification.

Having been something of a "game-changer" following his arrival in the capital - as described by Chelsea content creator George Benson - the hope would be that Jorginho could prove just as effective were he to make the move to Newcastle in 2023.

The experienced ace would offer real genuine quality to Howe's ranks were he to arrive through the door in the near future, having notably finished third in the Ballon d'Or rankings in 2021 after playing a key role in the European triumphs that year for both club and country.

The £110k-per-week "class act" - as lauded by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher - has proven himself a particular master in possession during his time in English football thus far, offering the ability to dictate games with his progressive and tidy midfield approach.

That is evidenced by the fact that the Brazil-born star ranks in the top 10% in Europe among those in his position for progressive passes, as well as in the top 13% for pass completion as a marker of his ball-playing brilliance.

Not a mere soft touch, however, the 5 foot 10 dynamo also ranks in the top 14% for both tackles and interceptions to illustrate his industrious nature, having averaged 2.0 tackles per game in the Premier League so far this term.

With the added bonus of his penalty-taking prowess - having converted 19 spot-kicks in the league during his time at Chelsea - Jorginho would certainly have a lot to offer to Howe and co, with it seemingly hard to pass up the chance to land such a proven individual on the cheap.