Jorginho
Jorginho [Reuters]

Chelsea and Liverpool are set to face competition from Zenit St Petersburg in signing Jorginho from Hellas Verona in January.

According to talkSPORT, the Russian club are ready to persuade the Italian outfit by tabling a bid of £8.5m for the Brazilian when the transfer window opens next month. They are also willing to offer the player a package worth £1.1m per annum which will increase their chances by leaps and bounds.

Verona were promoted to Serie A last season and are currently sixth in the table with 29 points after 17 matches. Jorginho has scored seven goals and assisted three in the 16 league games he has played so far and his performances have alerted several clubs across Europe.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool were reportedly keeping tabs on the player last summer in want of signing the player in the upcoming transfer window.

The midfielder is aware of the interest from English clubs and stated in October that he wants to impress the scouts and prove his worth.

However, Jorginho's decision to leave Verona during mid-season can only be influenced by a club that has the ability to offer him an opportunity to play in the Champions League.

Brendan Rodgers has clearly stated his intentions to bolster his squad in January as he attempts to guide the Reds to title glory for the first time since the introduction of the Premier League in 1992.

Liverpool and Arsenal are level on 36 points with the Reds claiming the top spot in the league due to a superior goal difference while Manchester City are third with 35 points and Chelsea are fourth with 34.

The Merseyside club have crucial fixtures against Manchester City on Boxing Day and Chelsea before the turn of the year. Rodgers will be hoping that his players get back on full throttle for these fixtures as they could dictate as to where they finish.