Manchester City are closing in on the signing of Chelsea target Josko Gvardiol. (Photo by INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images)
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.
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.
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