Filip Jorgensen and his agents were told in no uncertain terms that the goalkeeper was wrong to join Chelsea, according to Villarreal CEO Fernando Roig Negueroles.
The Denmark under-21 international made the switch from the Yellow Submarine to the Blues in July, with Chelsea shelling out around £20 million for the 22-year-old’s services. Jorgensen had enjoyed a breakout season with Villarreal, establishing himself as their No. 1 stopper. However, his move to West London has seen him become one of four senior goalkeepers in Enzo Maresca’s squad, leaving him unlikely to take the starting spot from Robert Sanchez.
Roig, 50, revealed that Villarreal always knew they might have to sell Jorgensen eventually, but he believes the goalkeeper’s decision to leave this early could hamper his development. Roig admitted he made his stance clear to Jorgensen and his agents.
“The truth is that we didn’t want to sell Alex [Sorloth] or Filip,” Roig explained in an interview with AS. “It was clear to us that we had to make some sales; we didn’t foresee those, but in the end, it happened because both players were willing to leave and the offers were attractive enough to accept. In both cases, we followed the will of the player; we wouldn’t have sold them otherwise. We knew there would have to be a sale this summer, but not just those two.”
He continued, “We didn’t expect to sell Jorgensen so soon, let alone this year. We knew about his enormous potential and thought he would leave, but not now. Honestly, and I have made this clear to him and his entourage, I think Jorgensen rushed his decision.”
Roig expressed his belief that Jorgensen had “room for improvement and growth” at Villarreal and suggested his departure may have been premature. “His departure was his will. We did not intend to make that sale, but it has happened because he is a great goalkeeper for the present and the future, with qualities that can make him one of the most important goalkeepers in Europe,” he added. “His departure doesn’t hurt me, though; football is like that.”
Jorgensen’s decision to join Chelsea has certainly sparked debate, with many wondering if the young goalkeeper’s move will pay off or if he will find himself stuck in the shadows at Stamford Bridge. Only time will tell if he made the right choice.