Chelsea report: Blues locked in three-way battle for World Cup defensive star
Chelsea are one of three Premier League clubs looking to sign the centre-back
Chelsea are one of three Premier League clubs keen to sign Josko Gvardiol, according to reports, after the Croatia international's star performances at this World Cup.
The 20-year-old has been one of the best centre-backs at the tournament, with Zlatko Dalic's side one win away from reaching a second successive final.
Gvardiol has caught the eye alongside Dejan Lovren at the heart of the Croatia backline, and his displays have not escaped the attention of Premier League scouts.
According to Foot Mercato, Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City have all submitted offers for the RB Leipzig defender, who is valued at £51.6m by Transfermarkt.
The German side know they are unlikely to keep hold of Gvardiol for much longer, even though the youngster is under contract at the Red Bull Arena until the summer of 2027.
Chelsea had hoped to steal a march on the Manchester duo by tabling an early bid, but all three clubs have made contact with Leipzig ahead of the January transfer window.
There is interest from elsewhere too, with Bayern Munich set to offer Gvardiol the chance to continue his career in the Bundesliga.
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Real Madrid and Barcelona have also added their names to the player's list of suitors, although neither Spanish side has made an official offer to Leipzig as things stand.
The aforementioned report states that PSG and Liverpool are not thought to be in the race for the Croatian, who will start in Tuesday's World Cup semi-final against Argentina.
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Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).