09 January 2023 , 13:52
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Chelsea have been handed a major blow to their hopes of sealing the signing of Josko Gvardiol after RB Leipzig reaffirmed their commitment to keeping him.
The central defender caught the eye at the World Cup in Qatar as Croatia reached the semi-finals. Before that, his performances for the Bundesliga giants had seen a number of admirers take notice of him.
It was reported last summer that Chelsea were close to securing a deal for his signature but a move failed to come to fruition. He then signed a new long-term deal with Leipzig to seemingly silence talk over his future.
The German club’s director of sport, Max Eberl, has pointed to that fact amid ongoing interest in the 20-year-old. Speaking to Sky in Germany, he said: “Because of the contract extension with Josko, we have the reins in our hands, the club has done an outstanding job. Soccer has gone crazy, but our interest is zero that we want to give Josko away in the summer.”
Meanwhile, Gvardiol has also weighed-in on those claims and suggested he was happy to stay with the German side. He said: “My plan is to stay here [with Leipzig]. I think everyone saw Max Eberl’s statement. That’s OK for me.”
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Intriguingly, that wasn’t the only interesting statement put out by Gvardiol regarding his future this week .When asked about a potential exit from his current employers, he suggested that his ideal destination would be Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
Josko Gvardiol caught the eye at the World Cup with Croatia (Getty Images)Would Josko Gvardiol be a good signing for either Chelsea or Liverpool? Share your thoughts in the comments below
“My dream club? That would definitely be Liverpool,” the defender said. “Since I was little, I watched a lot of their matches with my dad.
“We covered every season in detail. It is a club that has remained in my heart.”
Amid talk over a move to Chelsea, it appears unlikely at this stage that the Blues would make a move for the defender. They spent heavily on centre-backs in the summer window with the arrivals of Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana from Napoli and Leicester.
They have continued that huge spending in January with the big-money signing of Benoit Badiashile from Monaco. The 21-year-old was named on the bench for the first time for the Blues on Sunday evening as Graham Potter ’s men fell to a 4-0 thumping at the hands of Manchester Cit y - a result that sees the pressure crank up on the former Brighton boss.
The Blues have also made a further signing in January in the form of Molde striker David Datro Fofana. The Ivorian made his debut against City at the Etihad but could yet leave Chelsea on a six-month loan deal in an effort to get him more experience.