According to Foot Mercato, Manchester United and Chelsea have submitted formal offers for RB Leipzig star Josko Gvardiol.
United want to strengthen their defensive options, despite the signing of Lisandro Martinez from Ajax last summer. Skipper Harry Maguire has consistently underperformed, while Raphael Varane has been hampered by injuries and nearly missed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Victor Lindelof and Phil Jones are deemed not good enough by boss Erik ten Hag and are tipped to leave in the near future. As a result, Man Utd are on the hunt for defensive reinforcements and have identified Gvardiol as a key target.
Foot Mercato says Manchester United have already formalised their interest with a proposal worth around £77m [€90m], but they face stiff competition as Chelsea have also tabled an offer worth slightly more at £81m [€95m].
The Blues were heavily linked with the 20-year-old in the summer and failed with a late bid to sign the centre-back. They’ve renewed their pursuit but now face a battle with Man Utd for his signature.
Not only that, but Foot Mercato claims that Manchester City are also in the running to sign Gvardiol and are willing to pay a whopping £86m [€100m] to land the Croatian international.
Gvardiol has forged a reputation as one of the best young defenders in German football. He made 29 Bundesliga appearances last season, contributing eight clean sheets. He also scored two goals and provided two assists for the German side.
Competition
The 20-year-old’s inspired performance for Croatia has intensified interest in his signature, with Bayern Munich also among the heavyweights eyeing a move.
Gvardiol’s stock has risen during the World Cup in Qatar, performing consistently for the semi-finalists and showing leadership at a young age.
Croatia have conceded just three goals in their five games and are unbeaten after facing fellow semi-finals Morocco, Canada, Belgium, Japan and Brazil.
He will now face arguably his toughest test as he must try and stop Lionel Messi and Argentina in bid to make their way to a second successive final.
A January move for Gvardiol may be unlikely for all the Premier League clubs, with RB Leipzig currently just six points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayern.
However, he seems destined to seal a transfer next summer, and the Premier League is looking like an increasingly likely destination with Man Utd and Chelsea among those battling for his signature.
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