In a recent interview with Caught Offside, renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano mentioned that Chelsea remain keen admirers of Red Bull Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol. Romano said,
“At the moment I’m told Chelsea remain interested but there’s still nothing agreed; the race is open, nothing will happen now as he’s 100% focused on World Cup.”
Gvardiol’s Impressive Rise In German Football
Gvardiol is having a solid campaign at the Red Bull Arena after producing a series of dominant displays at the heart of Leipzig’s backline. The 20-year-old has done well to appear in 19 matches for the German club this season, finding the back of the net once on all fronts.
The talented defensive ace deserves a lot of credit for averaging 0.6 interceptions, 1.5 clearances and 0.6 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga. He was even accurate when distributing the ball from the back after making 89.1% of his attempted passes in league football (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at Leipzig is set to run out in the summer of 2027. Therefore, Chelsea will have to launch a big-money move if they are serious about landing the Croatia international next year.
Is Gvardiol A Good Choice For Chelsea?
Gvardiol can get stuck in with some solid tackles to make life difficult for the opposition attackers. He is usually quick to spot the danger and can make some timely interceptions at the back when he is playing with confidence on the field. The Croatia youngster doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when needed and is proficient at playing his way out from the back. He mainly operates as a central defender but can also fill in as a left-back if his manager tells him to do so.
Gvardiol has already shown some flashes of what he is capable of in Germany. We can expect him to add more bite and steel to Chelsea boss Graham Potter‘s defensive department and increase competition for places within his match-day squad at Stamford Bridge.
At 20, Gvardiol has got the potential to become a future star in English football as he ticks all the right boxes in terms of what Potter demands from his defenders at the West London club.
The Croatia talent could even help the Blues challenge for some major trophies over the next decade. Thus, Potter should think about going all out to secure Gvardiol’s services this January or at the end of this campaign.
