Transfer News: Josko Gvardiol hints at a winter transfer amid Chelsea interest. (Photo by ANDER GILLENEA/AFP via Getty Images)
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea attempted to sign RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol by offering Timo Werner on loan. But that came to no fruition as the Bundesliga outfit are reluctant to sell the defender.
Thomas Tuchel’s hunt for a centre-back this summer is not a secret. The German tactician has signed just one centre-back after seeing Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen leave.
Fans will hope that at least one more defender will be signed before the end of the window. Kalidou Koulibaly is a smart signing but he will not be enough if we want to rebuild our defence ahead of the new season.
The 20-year-old joined the club only last season and was quick to establish himself in the team. He made the fans forget that their club had sold Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate last summer- or at least he cushioned that blow to a big extent.
Gvardiol played a pivotal role last season as he helped the club finish fourth in the table and win the DFB Pokal. He was also instrumental as the Leipzig side reached the semi-finals of the Europa League last season.
His 44 appearances in all competitions highlights his importance to the team. The Croatian’s performances last season impressed onlookers in Europe but Leipzig are reluctant to allow the player to leave.
They are said to value the player at £50 million and he still has four years left in his current contract. Werner, who is a former RB Leipzig player, may not have made much sense for the swap deal.
A striker who is 26-years-old and has been inconsistent in front of goal for a 20-year-old defender who is just going to improve every season, seems quite unbalanced – especially if Werner was to leave on a loan. It is unknown if any additional cash was proposed in such an offer.
Leipzig rejecting such an offer would likely mean that they value the defender more than the striker. Tuchel also has interest in Benjamin Pavard and Wesley Fofana, but it remains to be seen if he will make a move for them. It is clear Tuchel has multiple options available, but who he could eventually sign remains to be seen.
The new season is just days away and the fans will hope that the defensive issue is solved before that. It is imperative that they get off to a good start or they could be in a very unfavourable position come May 2023.
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