Boehly hatches plan to beat Real Madrid to £87m as Chelsea identify alternative centre-back
Chelsea will be looking to steal a march on Real Madrid in their bid to land Josko Gvardiol, but also have an alternative in mind.
The Blues reportedly made a late offer for Gvardiol in the summer, but the Croatian has instead decided to extend his contract with RB Leipzig until June 2027.
Gvardiol only cost Bundesliga side Dinamo Zagreb £15m but is now believed to be valued at around £87m.
A report on Thursday claimed Manchester City were ready to blow away the competition for the 20-year-old with a 'monstrous' offer of £110million, but Mirror believe it was It's Chelsea and Real Madrid who are vying for his signature.
Chelsea have reportedly discussed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Gvardiol's agents.
Madrid have yet to approach their representatives, but the report claims they are set to offer the centre-back a four-year deal from the summer.
And Todd Boehly believes Chelsea's desire to complete the deal in January gives them the edge.
The report claims Madrid hope compatriot Luka Modric could play a role in enticing Gvardiol to move to the Spanish capital, but it's safe to assume Mateo Kovacic could play a similar role for Chelsea.
But Boehly has an alternative in mind according to Sky Sports.
It is claimed that the Chelsea owner will make a move for Piero Hincapie if he is unable to persuade Gvardiol to move to Stamford Bridge.
Hincapie impressed for Ecuador at the World Cup and caught the eye of suitors ahead of Qatar with his performances for Bayer Leverkusen.
The 20-year-old is contracted with the Bundesliga outfit until 2026 and would be a significantly cheaper option for Gvardiol, with reports suggesting he could be poached for around £30m.
But Gvardiol remains the primary target and Chelsea will be hoping to benefit from the positive relationship established with RB Leipzig through deals for Timo Werner and Christopher Nkunku, whose move to Stamford Bridge is now set.
Asked about a move to Chelsea during the World Cup, Gvardiol replied: "About Chelsea and me? I don't know. You know what's happened in the last few months. To be honest, I have no idea.
"My agent is taking care of it and we'll see. At the moment I'm happy in Leipzig. I don't know, we'll see, you never know.
"You know the stories and those things, but all I can say is that I'm happy in Leipzig and now I'm going to stay there and play for them."
READ MORE: If you're going to have a World Cup third-place play-off, at least do it like this, we guess
Chelsea will be looking to steal a march on Real Madrid in their bid to land Josko Gvardiol, but also have an alternative in mind.
The Blues reportedly made a late offer for Gvardiol in the summer, but the Croatian has instead decided to extend his contract with RB Leipzig until June 2027.
Gvardiol only cost Bundesliga side Dinamo Zagreb £15m but is now believed to be valued at around £87m.
A report on Thursday claimed Manchester City were ready to blow away the competition for the 20-year-old with a 'monstrous' offer of £110million, but Mirror believe it was It's Chelsea and Real Madrid who are vying for his signature.
Chelsea have reportedly discussed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Gvardiol's agents.
Madrid have yet to approach their representatives, but the report claims they are set to offer the centre-back a four-year deal from the summer.
And Todd Boehly believes Chelsea's desire to complete the deal in January gives them the edge.
The report claims Madrid hope compatriot Luka Modric could play a role in enticing Gvardiol to move to the Spanish capital, but it's safe to assume Mateo Kovacic could play a similar role for Chelsea.
But Boehly has an alternative in mind according to Sky Sports.
It is claimed that the Chelsea owner will make a move for Piero Hincapie if he is unable to persuade Gvardiol to move to Stamford Bridge.
Hincapie impressed for Ecuador at the World Cup and caught the eye of suitors ahead of Qatar with his performances for Bayer Leverkusen.
The 20-year-old is contracted with the Bundesliga outfit until 2026 and would be a significantly cheaper option for Gvardiol, with reports suggesting he could be poached for around £30m.
But Gvardiol remains the primary target and Chelsea will be hoping to benefit from the positive relationship established with RB Leipzig through deals for Timo Werner and Christopher Nkunku, whose move to Stamford Bridge is now set.
Asked about a move to Chelsea during the World Cup, Gvardiol replied: "About Chelsea and me? I don't know. You know what's happened in the last few months. To be honest, I have no idea.
"My agent is taking care of it and we'll see. At the moment I'm happy in Leipzig. I don't know, we'll see, you never know.
"You know the stories and those things, but all I can say is that I'm happy in Leipzig and now I'm going to stay there and play for them."
READ MORE: If you're going to have a World Cup third-place play-off, at least do it like this, we guess
What's Your Reaction?
