20-year-old
Josko Gvardiol is undoubtedly one of Europe's most promising footballing talents. The center-back has raised eyebrows with his stellar performances in defense for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga. During the 2022/2023 summer transfer window, some of Europe's top clubs were in hot pursuit of his signature. Ultimately, it seems increasingly likely that the race for Gvardiol's signature has been won by none other than Premier League giants Chelsea.2022 has so far been turbulent for Chelsea, as the club's operations have been disrupted by a change in ownership, which has led to several high-profile departures. The West London club lost two of their best defenders in
Andreas Christensen and
Antonio Rudiger. While manager
Thomas Tuchel has signed the likes of
Kalidou Koulibaly and
Wesley Fofana so far, he is keen on revamping a defense, which is currently being spearheaded by
Thiago Silva. Even though the Brazilian has been a class act since joining Chelsea, age isn't on his side and it's quite likely that the 2022/23 campaign would be his final season in professional football.On the other hand, Gvardiol's professional footballing career has only just begun, and he has impressed not just for RB Leipzig, but for the Croatia national team as well. Apart from being a solid center-back, Gvardiol is also known for his abilities on the left flank, and his versatility could see him used as a left-back too.Chelsea has reportedly tabled a bid of around 90 million euros for the Croatian international and Leipzig is likely to accept. However, Leipzig is reluctant to lose a player of Gvardiol's importance immediately before the summer transfer window comes to a close. The club wants Gvardiol to stay put for this season even if an agreement is reached with Chelsea. If the deal goes through, the Croatian will join the Chelsea squad in the summer of 2023.