Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Chelsea boss Thomas Ruchel is 'in love' with the prospect of signing RB Leipzig star Josko Gvardiol this summer.
The Blues have signed just one defender during the summer transfer window despite losing both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen to Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively. However, manager Tuchel is keen to bring in at least one more central defender, football.london understands, and one name that has been mooted as a potential target is Leipzig man Gvardiol.
Now, Romano has spoken about the west Londoners' interest in the Croatian international, claiming that any deal will be difficult given the Bundesliga club's unwillingness to sell. "Gvardiol is one of the top names on [Chelsea's] list — Thomas Tuchel is in love with this player," he told his YouTube channel.
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"Let me say that he's option number one in the list, but as of today, the situation on Leipzig's side is still the same — they have no intention at all to sell Gvardiol this summer. So, it is going to be more than complicated.
"For Fofana, it's difficult, but you can negotiate. For Gvardiol, it's not even the case. He's considered untouchable by Leipzig, so Chelsea would need a miracle to sign Gvardiol."
Gvardiol could demand a steep price if he was to be signed this summer, with CIES Football Observatory valuing the 21-year-old at €90 million- €120 million (£76 million -£100 million).
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