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According to Marca, Chelsea are favourites ahead of Real Madrid to sign RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol.
The Croatian star was one of the best performers during the World Cup where his country finished third ahead of Morocco. His displays have impressed Madrid but Marca report that Chelsea still have the upper hand in signing him.
Leipzig currently have no reason to sell Gvardiol as they are financially strong and only recently committed him to a new contract. However, it is reported that Premier League clubs remain interested in Gvardiol with Chelsea in the lead.
World-class
Gvardiol has been one of Bundesliga’s most consistent central defenders. At just 20, the Croatian has shown a high level of maturity with his performances and it could be a matter of time before he considers a bigger challenge away from Leipzig.
Both Madrid and Chelsea are interested in signing him, but the latter could have the advantage due to their good working relationship with Leipzig. The London giants signed Timo Werner from the German club two years ago, and allowed him to rejoin them last summer.
Chelsea have since reached an agreement to sign Christopher Nkunku from Leipzig next summer and they could now use their close association to lure Gvardiol to Stamford Bridge as well. It won’t be easy as Gvardiol is currently under contract with Leipzig until June 2027.
The Bundesliga giants rejected multiple offers from Chelsea for Gvardiol last summer – with the highest being £77 million. With no release clause present in his contract, Leipzig are in a strong position to command a much higher fee to sanction the sale of the highly-rated star.
Chelsea may probably put their plans for Gvardiol on hold until the summer. The main focus for January could be on strengthening their attack. They are currently close to landing Molde striker David Datro Fofana, but he should be considered as a long-term prospect for them.
The club require a marquee attacker next month and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao could be a genuine target. Chelsea were thwarted in their efforts to sign him last summer but Milan could change their stance soon with the winger set to enter the last 18 months of his contract.
