Chelsea ahead of Real Madrid in race to sign FIFA World Cup star - Reports
Chelsea and Real Madrid are interested in signing Croatia's FIFA World Cup star Josko Gvardiol, but the Blues have an advantage over Los Blancos, according to The Mirror.
Gvardiol's performances for Croatia at the 2022 FIFA World Cup have seen him attract interest from top clubs. Chelsea and Real Madrid are among the teams keen to acquire his services.
Los Blancos' interest in the RB Leipzig central defender, though, does not appear to be as advanced as the Blues. The Premier League giants are said to have already held talks with the player's agents.
While Real Madrid are prepared to wait until the summer, Chelsea are tipped to make a move for Gvardiol in January. According to the aforementioned source, Leipzig are bracing for an offer from Graham Potter's side when the winter transfer window opens in two weeks' time.
The Stamford Bridge outfit thus appear to be keen to get a deal for Gvardiol across the line at the earliest. Leipzig, though, prefer to sanction a transfer for the defender in the summer, as per the report.
It now remains to be seen if the Blues can convince the Bundesliga club to sell the 20-year-old in January. They are said to be prepared to offer Gvardiol a three-and-a-half-year deal should Leipzig be open to a sale.
Carlo Ancelotti's side, on the other hand, are reportedly readying a four-year contract for Gvardiol in the summer. Real Madrid are also hopeful that Croatia captain Luka Modric can convince the player to move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Meanwhile, the centre-back will respect Leipzig's decision on whether or not they decide to sell him in January. He has a contract with the German club until the end of the 2026-27 season.
Chelsea and Real Madrid are not the only clubs interested in Gvardiol
Gvardiol impressed for Croatia during their 2022 FIFA World Cup run in Qatar over the last few weeks. He scored one goal and helped the team keep two clean sheets in seven matches.
Having helped Croatia finish third in the World Cup, the defender is now wanted by top clubs across Europe. It is worth noting that Chelsea and Real Madrid are not the only clubs interested in him.
Info: Joško Gvardiol 
est l'une des priorités de Man City pour cet été
Guardiola 
a déjà échangé avec le joueur🚨Info: Joško Gvardiol 🇭🇷 est l'une des priorités de Man City pour cet été
▶️ Guardiola 🇪🇸 a déjà échangé avec le joueur
▶️ Les Citizens ont formulé une offre supérieure à 100M€ bonus compris
▶️ Chelsea et Manchester United ont aussi fait des offres
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Pep Guardiola's Manchester City have also been credited with an interest in the youngster. Their Premier League rivals Manchester United have been linked with a move for him as well.
As Gvardiol continues to attract interest, Leipzig could be forced to sell him next year. They are nevertheless in line to make a significant profit on the £15 million fee they paid for him in 2021.