Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has reportedly spoken to RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol to try and persuade him to move to Stamford Bridge.
According to Patrick Berger of Sport 1, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has taken it upon himself to convince RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol to make the jump to Stamford Bridge this summer.
It is no hidden secret that Chelsea are in the market for at least one more centre-back this summer despite having signed Kalidou Koulibaly as they look to offset the departures of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger. Even Cesar Azpilicueta’s future at Chelsea is far from certain, thus accentuating the need for at least another central defender.
However, Chelsea’s pursuit of defenders has not gone according to plans as they have missed out on top targets like Matthijs de Ligt, Jules Kounde and Nathan Ake, while Presnel Kimpembe is also ready to snub the Londoners. It has forced them to explore other avenues, with Leicester City’s Wesley Fofana and RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol emerging as targets.
Gvardiol joined Leipzig only last summer and has quickly become an important player for the Bundesliga outfit. The 20-year-old has made 44 appearances for the club last season, scoring two goals and setting up three more. He offered defensive assurance and quality on the ball while displaying his ability to play as a centre-back and a left-back.
Gvardiol’s displays have put him on Chelsea’s radars, who are interested in signing the Croatian international. The Blues are already in talks with RB Leipzig to offload Timo Werner, with the German striker closing in on a return to the Red Bull Arena. Chelsea had proposed the possibility of including the 26-year-old as part of the deal to sign Gvardiol but were shot down by Leipzig.
Despite that, Thomas Tuchel has now reportedly called up Gvardiol personally and held talks about a possible transfer to Chelsea. While that might help convince the Croatian, the Blues will still need to persuade Leipzig to part ways with their prized asset. However, the German giants are firm on their stance that the defender is not for sale.
So, it remains to be seen if Chelsea stand any chance of landing Gvardiol or will need to pursue alternate targets like Fofana and Bayern Munich ace Benjamin Pavard, who has already been offered to the west London giants.
