Report: Price tag for 20-year-old World Cup star on Chelsea’s radar crosses €90m

Chelsea continue their push to sign Josko Gvardiol; price tag has gone beyond €90m

According to the Guardian, Chelsea continue their push to sign RB Leipzig and Croatia centre-back Josko Gvardiol, but the price tag now has gone beyond €90m.

The report also states that Real Madrid and Manchester City are still in the race. It is now a question of whether the 20-year-old will make a move in January or in the summer.

In the preceding summer window, Chelsea made a move to sign Gvardiol. But, the deal did not materialise and the player instead signed a new contract with his current club Leipzig.

The Croatia international had an excellent World Cup and was deservedly named in the World Cup XI by a host of experts and pundits. The move by Lionel Messi to go past him in the semi-final showed how tough it is to beat him one-on-one. That move showed Messi’s greatness rather than Gvardiol’s naivety.

The former Dinamo Zagreb defender is comfortable playing both as a centre-back and a left-back. He is good on the ball, loves a physical battle, is aerially strong and reads the game impeccably well.

With Thiago Silva turning 38 and seeing his contract expire at the end of this season (Transfermarkt), without any extension signed yet, Chelsea could do with a high-quality centre-back replacing the Brazil captain on a long-term basis.

If the Blues manage to sign Gvardiol, it not only solves the problem of now but also makes them secure for plenty of years to come. Just imagine Wesley Fofana and him together… that’s our backline sorted for years.

More Chelsea News:

• There is a growing expectation that Jorginho will leave Chelsea in the summer
• Joe Cole urges Chelsea to make a bid for World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez
• Chelsea will be at Inter Milan’s front door if Milan Skriniar does not sign a new contract

The price tag could be an issue now, coupled with the fact that two of the most wealthy clubs Real Madrid and Manchester City are still in the race. But, if we are to stay in touch with them, money needs to be spent on good players to improve the overall level of the squad.