Chelsea target Josko Gvardiol is all but certain to be retained by RB Leipzig beyond the summer, confirmed the club’s sporting director Max Eberl.
The promising centre-back was tipped to be a top name on the shopping list for the Chelsea boss Graham Potter before the Blues went in for Benoit Badiashile who has joined them from AS Monaco on a long-term deal.
With Chelsea’s backline having suffered injury troubles since the start of the season, Todd Boehly had been keen to bring in a fresh pair of legs with the co-owner understood to be interested in moving in for the highly rated Croatian defender Gvardiol.
He has courted interest from some of the biggest clubs across Europe, including the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City, but Chelsea had been considered as the leading contenders for the player’s signature.
A swoop for the Bundesliga talent, however, could be ruled out anytime soon, considering Leipzig chief Eberl’s remarks to the press ( quoted by football.london), with the 21-year-old expected to stay put in Germany for the near future.
“I’m in contact with his agency.
“We are in very open talks. Our position is clear: He’s not leaving this winter under any circumstances, and it’s also not our intention to let him go in the summer of 2024.
“Beyond that, it’s hard to say. But we are definitely planning with him for the next year and a half.”
