Tottenham will reportedly compete with Chelsea in the race to sign Josko Gvardiol, who has a release clause worth £44 million in his RB Leipzig contract.
According to a report by Football Insider, Josko Gvardiol is the subject of interest from Tottenham Hotspur. The north Londoners are closely monitoring the RB Leipzig defender, who has a release clause worth £44 million. The Croatian international is also a target for London rival Chelsea.
Josko Gvardiol has come leaps and bounds since bursting onto the scene at Dinamo Zagreb a few years ago. The 20-year-old had attracted several European bigwigs before joining RB Leipzig in September 2020. And after spending a year on loan at Dinamo Zagreb, he has established a foothold in the Bundesliga.
The Croatian defender has turned out 57 times thus far for Leipzig, chipping in with two goals and four assists. Gvardiol has also become a regular for his national side, with his performances capturing the attention of many high-profile clubs. And Chelsea and Tottenham are two of his prospective suitors.
Chelsea attempted to sign Gvardiol in the summer transfer window and even came close to landing him on deadline day. But Leipzig managed to hold on to the Croat, forcing the Blues to postpone the move by a year. However, Chelsea’s interest has grown in the last six weeks, with the 20-year-old now a top target.
Recent reports have claimed that Chelsea will have no qualms about shelling out the big bucks for Gvardiol. But his release clause, worth £44 million, makes him an affordable target. However, the Blues will have to fend off stiff competition from Tottenham in the race to sign the Leipzig centre-back.
The interest from Tottenham is not surprising, considering Clement Lenglet only arrived on a loan deal in the summer. Spurs will have to look for an alternative if they do not sign the Frenchman permanently next year. And Gvardiol, with his versatility, is a viable target for Tottenham.
Like Chelsea, Tottenham should be able to afford to trigger his release clause. £44 million is not a huge amount in the current market conditions, so a move to the Premier League might be on the cards. It will be interesting to see if Tottenham can beat Chelsea to Gvardiol’s signature next year.
