Chelsea and Tottenham in a heated battle for RB Leipzig’s defensive star

Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur battle it out for Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol

According to Calciomercato (h/t Express), Chelsea and their London rivals Tottenham Hotspur are in a heated battle to sign RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol during the January transfer window. Italian side Inter Milan are also in the race. German champions Bayern Munich could join in the party as well.

The Blues have been closely watching the Croatian international’s progress and wanted to sign him in the summer. However, he managed to stay in Germany. He has a release clause of around £43.6m.

Leipzig repelled interest from various clubs in the summer and have since handed the player a new contract that will last till the summer of 2027. The lucrative new deal does give the Germans an advantage in transfer negotiations.

It has been revealed that Chelsea have reached an agreement with Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku on a pre-contract to join the club next summer. They are willing to pay more than release clause £52.7m to get his services..

So, if they can sign Gvardiol as well, it would be a major double swoop consisting of high-class players in the defensive and attacking department.

The 20-year-old is one of the best young defenders in the game. His positional versatility of being able to play as a centre-back and left-back offers great value to any team.

There is no doubt that whichever club sign him in the future, he would be an able long-term solution to one of the defensive positions on the team.

More Chelsea News:

• Chelsea agree deal for RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku
• Chelsea looking at RB Leipzig technical director Christopher Vivell
• Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly to target three positions for investment next summer

Chelsea have signed Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly in the summer window to shore up the back-line. However, they could do with more additions because club captain Cesar Azpilicueta (32) isn’t getting any younger and there are guarantees as to how long Thiago Silva (38) will last at the highest stage. Although the latter still looks as good a player as anyone.