Chelsea have been informed they "don’t need" Josko Gvardiol despite the Blues' links with a big-money swoop for the defender.
The Croatian shone during his nation’s run to the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar having previously been a standout for the German giants. The Blues have been monitoring his situation for some time and were reportedly close to sealing a deal in the summer.
In the end, an agreement could not be found and Gvardiol has continued to excel for RB Leipzig. The 20-year-old's performances throughout the season and at the World Cup have only intensified interest in his services, though, with Chelsea remaining the front-runners.
However, the Londoners have been issued a warning by ex-Blues defender William Gallas regarding a deal. The Frenchman has suggested that Gvardiol is not necessarily needed at Stamford Bridge. Speaking to Genting Casino, he said: “They (Chelsea) have defenders, so that is a problem.
“I don’t think that right now Chelsea needs him (Gvardiol) because they already have their centre-backs. In the future? Maybe they will move for him, but they should have signed him in the summer before they spent a lot of money on other defenders.
“Now, they are apparently looking for a striker and even a midfielder. (Jude) Bellingham was the perfect player for them, but they didn’t make a move in the summer. I don’t know what Chelsea and the owners are doing.”
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Gvardiol has excelled for Croatia in Qatar and his defensive solidity was a key reason why they reached the last four. Prior to their semi-final meeting with Argentina, he had only been dribbled past once but was then given a torrid time by Lionel Messi, whose mazy run teed up Julian Alvarez for his second goal of the game.
Chelsea spent heavily on defenders in Todd Boehly ’s first summer at Stamford Bridge following his takeover. Kalidou Koulibaly arrived from Napoli but has endured a tricky debut campaign as a Chelsea player.
Meanwhile, the Blues also elected to spend a reported £75million on Leicester defender Wesley Fofana. The 21-year-old suffered with persistent injury issues since having made just six appearances for the club ahead of the enforced break for the World Cup.
Should Chelsea complete a deal for Gvardiol in the near future, he could potentially be the second player to arrive from RB Leipzig in a matter of months. Reports have suggested that the Blues are closing in on a deal for forward Christopher Nkunku.
The Frenchman has been in sensational form over the past few seasons and already has 17 goals to his name this term. He was initially called up into the France squad for the World Cup but had to pull out due to injury.
Elsewhere, Chelsea are also reportedly closing in on the €10m (£8.6m) signing of promising Molde forward Datro Fofana. The Ivorian has been in excellent form for the Norwegian outfit this season and would become Graham Potter’s first signing as Blues boss.
