CHELSEA have suffered frustration in their attempts to sign RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol.
The Blues have been trying to bring the 20-year-old Croatian international to Stamford Bridge for several weeks.
And they hoped to be able to push through a transfer deal worth around £77million before tonight’s deadline.
However, Thomas Tuchel now appears to have lost out Gvardiol for now after he penned a new one-year contract extension at Leipzig.
After committing his future to the Bundesliga club until 2027, the ex-Dinamo Zagreb ace said: “I really enjoy being here and I wanted to stay here.
“We have a lot of work to do and a lot to achieve here. We have a good team and we’re ready.
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“We’re in the Champions League and won the DFB-Pokal last season. We want to compete for trophies once again.
“I’m grateful to the club for counting on me and planning with me long-term.”
The potential switch to Chelsea collapsed as it left Leipzig with a race against the clock to find a replacement.
But transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claims that talks between the two clubs over a deal for Gvardiol will continue once the transfer window re-opens in January.
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Chelsea have managed to bolster their defence this summer with two other big-money recruits.
They splashed out £70m to Leicester for Wesley Fofana earlier this week.
And that followed the £34m arrival of Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli in July.
Gvardiol has made a huge impact at Leipzig since joining the club last year.
He made 46 appearances during his maiden campaign in the Bundesliga, helping the club to win the German Cup and reach the last four of the Europa League.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
