Chelsea have reportedly stepped up their long-standing pursuit of RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol ahead of Thursday’s transfer window deadline.
Thomas Tuchel is looking to overhaul his defensive ranks which lost Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen earlier in the summer and was bolstered by the arrival of the highly-rated Kalidou Koulibaly from Serie A outfit Napoli.
In the final hours that remain of this summer’s window, Chelsea are looking to move in for the Croatia international Gvardiol who has also attracted interest from the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, according to a report from The Daily Mail.
A big-money £75 million deal for the promising RB Leipzig central defender would see Gvardiol being loaned out to the Bundesliga giants for the 2022-23 season, setting the stage for his return to the Bridge come next summer.
The 20-year-old centre-back has been an influential performer in the Leipzig backline in recent times which has prompted the club to insist that he remains not for sale despite Chelsea’s interest in landing his signature.
