Chelsea set to FAIL in their bid to sign £75m-rated centre back Josko Gvardiol… as RB Leipzig are unlikely to sanction the defender’s exit so close to the end of the transfer window
- Chelsea have been trying to agree a deal with RB Leipzig for Josko Gvardiol
- They have proposed signing him for £75m before loaning him back to Leipzig
- They then hoped that Gvardiol would arrive at Stamford Bridge next summer
- However, their offer appears to have come too late in the transfer window
- Gvardiol now looks set to stay at Leipzig beyond Thursday’s 11pm deadline
Chelsea’s chances of completing a deal for RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol before Thursday’s deadline are fading.
The Blues were in talks with the Bundesliga outfit over a fee in the region of £75million for Gvardiol, in a move that would have seen the centre back loaned back to Leipzig for the rest of the season before arriving at Stamford Bridge in 2023.
However, Sportsmail sources have indicated that the idea has ultimately arrived too late for Leipzig to sanction their star defender’s departure.
Chelsea look likely to miss out on signing RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol this summer
Gvardiol is still just 20 years of age, but has already made a significant impact at Leipzig since joining the club last year.
In his maiden campaign in Germany, he made 46 appearances across all competitions, winning the German Cup and helping his side reach the last four of the Europa League.
His performances have led to him attracting interest from a number of top English clubs, with Manchester City and Tottenham also tracking his progress.
It looked like Chelsea had edged ahead of their rivals in the race for his signature, but it now appears they will have to wait until at least January to try to tempt him away from Leipzig.
Thomas Tuchel has signed two centre backs this summer, but Gvardiol looks unlikely to join
Wesley Fofana has joined Chelsea to take the club’s summer spending beyond £250m
Chelsea have already brought in two centre backs this summer after signing Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli before finally wrapping up a deal for Wesley Fofana on Wednesday.
Thomas Tuchel has also added Raheem Sterling, Marc Cucurella and Carney Chukwuemeka to his squad to take Chelsea’s summer spending beyond the £250m mark.
Despite looking set to miss out on Gvardiol, it could still be a busy final day of the window at Stamford Bridge as the club look to get a deal for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang over the line.
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