Filip Jørgensen reveals he decided to leave Chelsea months before Strasbourg loan

Filip Jørgensen has revealed he knew as early as January that he wanted to leave Chelsea after becoming frustrated by his lack of regular football.

The 24-year-old goalkeeper eventually joined RC Strasbourg on a season-long loan in August and has started five matches this season. His increased playing time has also helped him become Denmark’s new No.1 during the current international break.

Jørgensen has now explained that his Chelsea exit had been planned for considerably longer than previously apparent.

Speaking to Tipsbladet, Jørgensen said his priority was simple: he needed to play every week.

“Ever since January, I knew I wanted to move,” he said. “I wanted to play every weekend and show what I can do. It means an absolute lot. I am very happy about it.”

Chelsea had signed Jørgensen from Villarreal in 2024, but Robert Sánchez remained ahead of him. The Dane was largely restricted to Conference League and cup appearances during his first season.

Jørgensen said Chelsea asked about his plans around two months before the end of last season.

“If I could play regularly at Chelsea, I would like to stay, but if not, I would like to leave,” he explained.

Perhaps most revealingly, Jørgensen admitted there was little attempt to convince Chelsea’s subsequent coaches that he should become first choice.

Asked whether he tried to impress after managerial changes at Stamford Bridge, he replied: “No, there was no chance. We already knew I was leaving, so we didn’t even try to do anything about it.”

The loan to Strasbourg ultimately provided the regular football he wanted.

There is no purchase option or obligation included in the agreement, meaning Jørgensen is currently scheduled to return to Chelsea next summer. His contract with the Blues runs until 2031.

However, he is refusing to make any predictions about what happens next.

“I’m not thinking about that right now,” he said. “I just want to have a good year, and then next summer we’ll see what happens.”

Jørgensen’s immediate focus is on establishing himself at Strasbourg and continuing to play regularly.

His longer-term Chelsea future looks considerably less certain. Emiliano Martínez arrived in August and is now first choice at Stamford Bridge, which could leave Jørgensen facing the same problem when his loan ends.

For now, though, the goalkeeper is deliberately leaving that decision until next summer. A strong season in Ligue 1 could give both Jørgensen and Chelsea more options when the time comes.