Chelsea target Josko Gvardiol demands staggering signing-on fee to complete Real Madrid transfer: Reports
According to El Nacional, Chelsea target Josko Gvardiol has demanded a staggering โฌ10 million signing bonus from Real Madrid. The RB Leipzig defender has also been courted by the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Bayern Munich.
Gvardiol was superb for Croatia during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. While he has long been a highly touted prospect, the world's attention got to the player with his performances during the tournament in Qatar.
Any team interested in Gvardiol's signing will need to splash a fee in the range of โฌ100 million for the RB Leipzig star. Real Madrid are reportedly close to reaching an agreement. While Los Blancos signed Antonio Rudiger on a free transfer in the summer, Gvardiol will secure the team's future. The Croat will also be an important player for Carlo Ancelotti's team at this point in time.
Chelsea are also interested in Gvardiol. However, Los Blancos look the team most likely to get the Croat. The Blues have also secured the signature of Benoit Badiashile from AS Monaco.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti spoke about former Chelsea ace Eden Hazard
Since arriving at Real Madrid from Chelsea in 2019, Eden Hazard has failed to recreate the impact he made in the Premier League. Hazard has scored only seven goals and provided 11 assists for Los Blancos in 72 games.
The Belgian has made six appearances under Carlo Ancelotti this season, scoring once and assisting once. Carlo Ancelotti recently spoke about Hazard's future at the club after the 2-0 win against Real Valladolid (via Managing Madrid):
โHazard will play the next match.โ
The win against Valladolid, however, signaled a good sign for Los Blancos. Karim Benzema returned to action after 58 days without competitive football. The 2022 Ballon d'Or winner scored a brace in the game. Speaking about the french ace, Ancelotti said:
โI think this will do him good. I already thought he was doing well following his recovery and I knew he could play a decisive role in this game. And he did. I think heโs very motivated and confident. Weโll see a different Benzema in the second half of the season compared to the first half of the season.โ