Chelsea have been priced out of a move for talented RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol and have been forced to look elsewhere for defensive reinforcements, according to reports.
The Blues were among the frontrunners for the Croatian defenders signature, and even tried to reach an agreement over the summer for a move in January, but Gvardiol instead penned a new contract with RB Leipzig to keep him there until 2027.
However, a series of strong performances at the World Cup in Qatar, on his way to a third-place medal, has rasied his profile further, and left the German side with a bidding war on their hands for his services.
And, as per the Athletic, this has priced Chelsea out of a potential move this January, with personal terms agreed but no agreement having been reached on the fee, and that ‘his rising value has forced Chelsea to broaden the search and consider alternative options’
Graham Potter’s side are instead set to make an offer for AS Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile as they look to add a left-footed defender to their squad.
The reliable David Ornstein reports that ‘while currently there is no agreement between the Premier League side and their Ligue 1 counterparts, multiple sources believe he [Badiashile] will join in the weeks ahead for around €35 million”.
He has previously been linked with Manchester United and Arsenal, and though he remains somewhat less polished than Gvardiol and is still prone to a mistake from time to time, he continues to catch the eye of top clubs.
