Chelsea manager Graham Potter has “chosen” RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol as his number one target to strengthen the defence, according to Alfredo Pedulla.
The Italian journalist claims the Croatian, who has 14 caps for his county, is at the top of the Blues’ “shopping list” and they are now doing “everything” to win the race for the player’s signature:
— Alfredo Pedullà (@AlfredoPedulla) November 29, 2022
It is believed that the involvement of Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain, who have both signalled their strong interest in Gvardiol recently, has pressed Chelsea into action.
They attempted to sign the 20-year-old in the summer, tabling a bid in the region of €80m, but Leipzig rejected the proposal, with the player subsequently signing a contract extension instead.
However, there have been claims that a release clause was included in the new contract, which can be triggered at the end of the season. If one does exist, Chelsea may try to do a similar deal to the one for Gvardiol’s teammate Christopher Nkunku, agreeing a fee well ahead of time before a transfer next summer.
