Chelsea Transfers

[Vesper 28,987]

Josko Gvardiol makes "dream" Liverpool transfer admission amid Chelsea interest

Chelsea have long eyed Josko Gvardiol amid his starring performances for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, but the defender has now dealt a blow to the Blues' hopes of signing him

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/josko-gvardiol-transfer-Chelsea-liverpool-28897587

Josko Gvardiol has admitted that Liverpool is his "dream" club as the transfer battle over the centre-back intensifies.

Chelsea and Tottenham are among the teams eyeing a move for the Croatian, who has impressed for RB Leipzig. He also helped his country to finish third at the most recent World Cup, playing every minute of their tournament.

His performances in the Bundesliga and at international level have attracted a range of interested suitors, with Chelsea having made a move for him last summer. He is under contract at Leipzig for another four years, but is once again set to be the subject of interest this month.

The Blues are expected to reignite their interest in the 20-year-old as Graham Potter looks to upgrade his squad. But Gvardiol has now delivered a blow to Potter's hopes of signing him, as he admitted Liverpool is his dream club.

"That would definitely be Liverpool. Since I was little, I watched a lot of Liverpool matches with my dad, and we covered every season in detail. It is a club that has remained in my heart," he told RTL Danas.

"Since I was a child, I always gravitated towards the English league. We all know what kind of league it is. I don't know if I'm mature enough and ready for that league. We will see, when I feel that this is the moment, that I have crossed a certain level and reached the border in Germany, then I will look further.

"I don't bother with numbers. I am in contact with people at the club and I don't think there have been any negotiations. I have a manager who deals with it and I am maximally focused on the work on the field."

Gvardiol also hinted that he wanted to stay at Leipzig for the rest of the season, rather than move on this month. And the defender also insisted he feels wanted by the Bundesliga side after they fought to keep him during the summer.

"I am also happy for the club to achieve something big. I'm not in a hurry, I'm in Leipzig, we still have six months to finish the season properly and to win something. And then we will look further to the future," he added.

"I am convinced of this because this summer the transfer was close and they simply kept me. We talked and they told me how much I mean to them, how much I mean to my teammates and the club, and I was glad to hear that.

"I hope to spend these six months with them. They did not give up, but it was agreed that we would go for the winter. Winter has come, so we need to see what and how to proceed, but it's okay, there's still plenty of time, we'll see.

"Well, I do not know. Nobody presented anything to me. No idea as far as I'm concerned. But I'm not in a hurry, we have time, let them arrange the plan and we'll see."

Edited January 7, 2023 by Vesper

[NikkiCFC 8,039]

Fucking shit Liverpool will get Gvardiol and Bellingham next summer. 

[Superblue 6,370]

3 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

Fucking shit Liverpool will get Gvardiol and Bellingham next summer. 

You really think they'll spend about £250m in the summer for those two?

I'm not even sure they'd be prepared to pay for one of them, let alone two.

[Pizy 18,405]

It’s bad news all the time for Chelsea this season. Awful on the pitch, manager situation, a dozen different injured players, almost all the new and super expensive signings being disappointments, incompetence in the current transfer market, and some of our primary targets dreaming of moves elsewhere.

Our new scouting and sporting directors are going to REALLY have to earn their money and reputations now and in the summer. Because at this point it looks like we’re going to have to sign more David Fofana’s and random teenagers as our primary transfer business and hope they turn into stars. We aren’t going to be in position on or off the pitch to be attractive to ready made superstars for a while.

It’s a miracle we managed to convince Nkunku to choose us. If indeed it’s actually signed and done. No idea why it hasn’t been announced if so.

[Hamilton 2,120]

Yep Enzo saga won’t make it better to. That was a potential world class signing, but probably that ship sailed now.

 

[Laylabelle 9,375]

30 minutes ago, Pizy said:

It’s bad news all the time for Chelsea this season. Awful on the pitch, manager situation, a dozen different injured players, almost all the new and super expensive signings being disappointments, incompetence in the current transfer market, and some of our primary targets dreaming of moves elsewhere.

Our new scouting and sporting directors are going to REALLY have to earn their money and reputations now and in the summer. Because at this point it looks like we’re going to have to sign more David Fofana’s and random teenagers as our primary transfer business and hope they turn into stars. We aren’t going to be in position on or off the pitch to be attractive to ready made superstars for a while.

It’s a miracle we managed to convince Nkunku to choose us. If indeed it’s actually signed and done. No idea why it hasn’t been announced if so.

That's the thing top 4 helps signings but some players can overlook that. At the moment however we don't look like we have that appeal seeing as our direction is all over the place

[Superblue 6,370]

32 minutes ago, Pizy said:

It’s bad news all the time for Chelsea this season. Awful on the pitch, manager situation, a dozen different injured players, almost all the new and super expensive signings being disappointments, incompetence in the current transfer market, and some of our primary targets dreaming of moves elsewhere.

Our new scouting and sporting directors are going to REALLY have to earn their money and reputations now and in the summer. Because at this point it looks like we’re going to have to sign more David Fofana’s and random teenagers as our primary transfer business and hope they turn into stars. We aren’t going to be in position on or off the pitch to be attractive to ready made superstars for a while.

It’s a miracle we managed to convince Nkunku to choose us. If indeed it’s actually signed and done. No idea why it hasn’t been announced if so.

How many 'ready made superstars' have we bought that have turned out to be hugely successful signings here? Off the top of my head the only ones you could argue are Ashley Cole, Makelele, Ballack and Fabregas. The rest have ranged between average down to complete busts with a number falling into that second category.

Even when we've been in positions of strength, our best signings have always been players on an upward trajectory that come here with their best years ahead of them and thrive and develop further here.

Our new scouting and recruitment team should be targeting that profile of player anyway and that's ultimately what they should be paid for.

[Tomo 21,733]

9 hours ago, Blue Armour said:

That was an interesting one though.

Drogba and Joe Cole had insane pulling power over Hazard.

Sometimes a highly reputed player being at the club can make all the difference.

Liverpool don't get the banter they deserve over that.

Thought they were getting one over on us signing Joe Cole in the first place, then within a year they sent him on loan for him to spent the entire year getting Hazard to come here.

[NikkiCFC 8,039]

2 hours ago, Superblue said:

You really think they'll spend about £250m in the summer for those two?

I'm not even sure they'd be prepared to pay for one of them, let alone two.

I just saw somewhere, don't know how reliable that their budget for summer is 250m. So just get those two. For sure they can shift some players for 100m and that looks realistic to me. 

[MoroccanBlue 5,318]

3 hours ago, Hamilton said:

Yep Enzo saga won’t make it better to. That was a potential world class signing, but probably that ship sailed now.

 

Hopefully the offer to buy him but he stays at Benfica for the remainder hasn’t been ruled out. 

[Hamilton 2,120]

3 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Hopefully the offer to buy him but he stays at Benfica for the remainder hasn’t been ruled out. 

Was that ever an option then? Would be weird for a player with this price tag no?

[Stats 7,059]

We are now looking into possibility of signing Marcus Thuram in January. He is free agent in the summer and there is a lot of interest but I would take him. Fast, powerful and tall also. Let's see how this pans out.

[Artandur 939]

18 minutes ago, Stats said:

We are now looking into possibility of signing Marcus Thuram in January. He is free agent in the summer and there is a lot of interest but I would take him. Fast, powerful and tall also. Let's see how this pans out.

He is great when running into space, but won't help us a bit against low blocks either.

[Stats 7,059]

3 minutes ago, Artandur said:

He is great when running into space, but won't help us a bit against low blocks either.

Auba isnt doing it right now at all and is on the decline. Havertz is too inconsistent. Broja is injured for the season. I would take him and he would be relatively cheap also.

[Artandur 939]

20 minutes ago, Stats said:

Auba isnt doing it right now at all and is on the decline. Havertz is too inconsistent. Broja is injured for the season. I would take him and he would be relatively cheap also.

Sure he might be a good deal, but i'm just trying to set expectations a bit.

[Pizy 18,405]

Thuram is definitely interesting. Pretty unusual to see a striker as big as he is with great technical ability and dribbling skill. Has the physique to cope with the PL. 

But since it doesn’t seem at this point like David Fofana will be going straight out on loan I’m not sure how we sign another striker when we now have Fofana, Auba, and Havertz. Auba is in horrendous form but we just signed him months ago. We gonna terminate his contract or something? Having 4 strikers in the squad makes little sense.

[OhForAGreavsie 5,898]

12 hours ago, Strike said:

Jorginho over City (due to Sarri) Werner over Liverpool can be considered at a stretch

I've stated my opinion on Liverpool and Timo many times. I said at the time that they would certainly have been able to afford him if they rated him highly enough. Jorginio is a fair shout. We won that tussle partly because of Sarri as you say, and partly, I think, because of the role in the squad that was on offer.

Thanks for the memory prompt. Unless someone else remembers another occasion that you and I have both forgotten, Jorgi stands as the exception that proves the rule.

[milka 3,349]