Chelsea have been handed a huge boost in their pursuit of RB Leipzig and Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol, according to reports. It comes ahead of a January transfer window that could prove pivotal to the club's project under the new ownership as well as manager Graham Potter.
A switch for the 20-year-old would fit in with the new regime's desire to sign youngsters and develop them into superstars for years to come. That vision set out by the club is something that got the head coach on board, claiming when he joined: "It’s the start of a really exciting period.
"New ownership, who I was really really excited with and impressed by, firstly as people and their vision for the club, what they wanted to do. Of course the history of the club speaks for itself, but it’s [also] about creating that in our own way"
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The likes of Cesare Casadei and Carney Chukwuemeka appear to be just the start of that, though a switch for more immediate first-team starters may be a bigger priority. Luckily, Gvardiol ticks both boxes as an experienced defender despite his young age profile.
There are plenty of sides tracking the Croatian international though as the likes of Liverpool and Juventus are reported to be keeping track of his progress. It's the former of those sides that could have an advantage in the race after a previous claim from Gvardiol, who told outlet 24Sata: "Since I was a little boy, my dad and I watched Liverpool matches, and I grew up with only them. When I took football more seriously, I started following them, and I definitely want the Premier League and Liverpool.”
Despite that, a report from TuttoJuve claims that the Blues "far ahead" in their efforts to land the left-sided defender, with the club also able to take advantage of their relationship with Leipzig following a move for Timo Werner. It could prove to work in their favour to land one of Europe's top prospects.
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