"He is happy here" โ Chelsea and Liverpool told their target is not leaving current club
RB Leipzig manager Marco Rose has delivered a blow to Chelsea and Liverpool's transfer hopes of snapping up Josko Gvardiol this summer.
Gvardiol, 21, has emerged as one of the top defensive prospects in the world over the past two seasons. He joined the Red Bulls from his boyhood club Dinamo Zagreb for a fee in the region of ยฃ16 million in the summer of 2020. Since then, he has helped his club lift the DFB Pokal trophy.
Speaking to The Times, Gvardiol revealed that he is keen to feature in the Premier League in the future. Reminiscing about his past, he said:
"I had two options between Leeds and Leipzig [back in 2020]. But I knew that I needed to take a few steps more before I can get [to the Premier League] one day. At the end, Leipzig is a really good club and I feel good right now. It's important that I play almost every game."
Josko Gvardiol's ceiling is so high ๐ https://t.co/lNDKwZJEan
Speaking to TV2Sport, Rose issued a warning to Gvardiol's potential suitors amid serious interest from Chelsea and Liverpool. He said:
"Josko Gvardiol will be a RB Leipzig player next season as well. I am the coach and I am asking for that. He is happy here. He said he wants to play in the Premier League, but he didn't say when!"
A left-footed defender renowned for his pace and positioning, the 19-cap Croatia ace turned a lot of heads during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He scored one goal in seven tournament starts, helping his country achieve a third-place finish behind Argentina and France.
Gvardiol, who has a contract until June 2027 at the Red Bull Arena, also shone in his team's recent 1-1 UEFA Champions League last-16 home draw against Manchester City. He scored a 70th minute equalizer after Riyad Mahrez's first-half opener on Wednesday (February 22).
Containing Haaland โ
Scoring the equaliser โ
Joลกko Gvardiol is the ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ https://t.co/9hOBPlFCJq
Liverpool monitoring 24-year-old Chelsea star's contract situation, claims journalist
In his column for Caught Offside, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs stated that Liverpool are keen to sign Mason Mount this summer. He elaborated:
"Liverpool's interest in Mason Mount is genuine and the Chelsea midfielder will be able to use this to his advantage in contract talks. But even before their new owners officially came in, renewing Mount's contract was a high priority, and this remains the case."
Providing insight into Chelsea's stance, Jacobs continued:
"Talks have stalled to some extent, although Chelsea were always focused on a busy January window, and prioritising Mount at the same time wouldn't have necessarily changed much because the sides are quite far apart on terms.
"Mount's contract expires in summer 2024, and Liverpool know they stand a chance of getting a bargain."