CHELSEA have had their hopes of attracting rising star Josko Gvardiol to Stamford Bridge dashed as Real Madrid make their intent known.
The London club have been linked with a big money move for Gvardiol as they look to bolster their backline.
The centre-back currently plays for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga and his contact doesn’t expire until 2027, meaning anyone interested will have to fork out a serious fee.
Reports in Spain have emerged that Real Madrid are willing to pay what is needed to attract the Croatian born player to the Bernabeu.
Alfredo Pedulla has reported that the Spanish giants are willing to put in a bid of around £78million to beat Chelsea to the post.
Gvardiol has cemented his name as one of the hottest prospects in football with some impressive performances during the World Cup.
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The 20-year-old is currently in Qatar representing Croatia who have made it into the quarter-finals of the competition.
The youngster has played every minute of the tournament so far for his nation and has been an integral part of their success.
Chelsea have been heavily linked with luring him to the capital, but his agent, Marjan Sisic, has said Gvardiol is in no rush to leave Germany.
He told Sky Germany: “Regarding a possible transfer in the summer of 2023 we are not in a hurry.
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“I can also make it clear that there are no pre-agreements with any clubs. For sure, a lot of top clubs are informed about him but Josko has a long-term contract in Leipzig.
“Josko feels totally happy in Leipzig. His development is amazing and RB are playing very well under Marco Rose.”
Gvardiol has made 65 appearances for RB Leipzig including 10 in the Champions League which is an impressive level of experience for such a young player.
Barcelona, Liverpool and Manchester City have all also been linked with a move for the former Dinamo Zagreb man and so there will be a lot of competition to secure his signature.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
