Villarreal CEO Criticizes Filip Jorgensen’s Move to Chelsea
Villarreal CEO Fernando Roig Negueroles has expressed his belief that goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen was too hasty in joining Chelsea this summer. Roig Negueroles thinks that Jorgensen would have benefited from another season in Spain before making the move to the Premier League.
Chelsea was determined to bring in a high-class goalkeeper to provide cover for Robert Sanchez before the transfer deadline. They agreed to a deal with Villarreal for Jorgensen worth around £20 million. The 22-year-old Danish goalkeeper made 37 appearances for Villarreal last season and impressed in his first full season with the club’s first-team squad.
While Jorgensen is yet to make his Premier League debut for Chelsea, he started both legs against Servette in the Europa Conference League last month. The Blues have high hopes for him and consider him a potential future number one goalkeeper.
However, Roig Negueroles believes that Jorgensen’s growth and development would have been better served by staying at Villarreal. He stated that they didn’t want to sell either Jorgensen or Alex Sorloth, but both players wanted to leave and the offers were attractive enough to accept. Roig Negueroles admitted that they didn’t expect to sell Jorgensen so soon and thought he would leave, but not this year. He believes that Jorgensen was hasty with his departure and had room for improvement and growth at Villarreal.
Despite disagreeing with Jorgensen’s decision to move on, Roig Negueroles doesn’t regret the sale. He recognizes Jorgensen’s potential and believes that he has the qualities to become one of the most important goalkeepers in Europe.
Jorgensen’s recent international break was marred by injury. He played the full 90 minutes in Denmark U21’s 4-2 defeat to Iceland but was forced off in a 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic. The severity of his injury remains uncertain, but Denmark boss Steffen Hojer expressed hope that it is not something serious.
It’s clear that Roig Negueroles has mixed feelings about Jorgensen’s move to Chelsea. While he acknowledges the goalkeeper’s potential, he believes that staying at Villarreal would have been more beneficial for his growth and development. Only time will tell if Jorgensen’s decision to join Chelsea was the right one.
Overall, this situation highlights the complexities of player transfers in football. It’s not just about the financial aspects; it’s also about the player’s development and career trajectory. Clubs and players must carefully consider these factors before making such significant moves.