Tottenham and Chelsea dealt blow as centre-back target ‘expected to stay’ this summer

Tottenham and Chelsea have both been dealt a blow in their pursuit of defensive reinforcements as RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol is now ‘expected to stay’ at the German club this summer.

The Croatian centre-back has enjoyed a stunning season for Leipzig, appearing 29 times in the Bundesliga, while the 20-year-old has also managed 6 appearances both in the Champions League and Europa League.

Playing as a left centre-back, he has caught the attention of both Chelsea and Tottenham, both of whom are looking to strengthen in that position this summer. He was named on a four-man shortlist that included Pau Torres and Andrea Bastoni for the Lilywhites, while Chelsea are scrambling for options following their takeover.

However, Gvardiol has previously poured cold water on departure rumours, citing his desire to stay in Germany.

‘I really enjoy every day with this great team at this top-class club. I don’t think about anything else’, the starlet told Bild.

When asked about whether he will be a Leipzig player in 2022/23, he replied ‘Yes, of course!’ before explaining that he ‘really has no plans’ for his future.

And now, it seems as though the message has got through, with the defender ‘expected to stay at RB Leipzig this summer’ according to Nathan Gissing.

The current feeling with Josko Gvardiol is that he is expected to stay at RB Leipzig this summer. The centre-back is happy there and there is no hurry to find a move elsewhere despite interest from various clubs such as Chelsea and Spurs. 🇭🇷 #RBLeipzig pic.twitter.com/IAwjYfQBmh

— Nathan Gissing (@Nathan_Gissing) May 26, 2022

Where else will Chelsea look?

The latest setback could force Chelsea to pivot for another Tottenham target in Andrea Bastoni while Pau Torres is also an option, though they could yet face competition from Manchester United.

Manchester United are discussing Villarreal’s Pau Torres as one of 3/4 options for the new centre back. No proposal made yet, as it depends on Erik ten Hag decision and Man Utd board changes. 🔴🇪🇸 #MUFC

Chelsea are also monitoring Pau.
€55/60m release clause into his contract. pic.twitter.com/K3gItr1aoA

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 9, 2022

Alternatively, they could promote youth prospect Levi Colwill, who has excelled at Championship level with Huddersfield Town. Whether they deem it a season too soon, however, remains to be seen.

Read more:

Liverpool vs Real Madrid betting tips: Champions League Final preview, predictions and odds

Chelsea betting odds, next game:

Chelsea’s latest videos

True or False: Mason Mount v Marcos Alonso!

See who came out on top as we put Mason Mount and Marcos Alonso…

2022-05-26T17:30:00Z

“It Was The Best Day Of Our Lives” | Mount & Jorginho On THAT Timo Prank | The Clubhouse | Episode 7

Welcome to the Chelsea Clubhouse. Join Zac Djellab and Eman SV2 as they welcome…

2022-05-26T15:00:25Z

Premier League table

#	Team	MP	D	P
1	Manchester City	38	73	93
2	Liverpool FC	38	68	92
3	Chelsea FC	38	43	74
4	Tottenham Hotspur	38	29	71
5	Arsenal FC	38	13	69
6	Manchester United	38	0	58
7	West Ham United	38	9	56
8	Leicester City	38	3	52
9	Brighton & Hove Albion	38	-2	51
10	Wolverhampton Wanderers	38	-5	51
11	Newcastle United	38	-18	49
12	Crystal Palace	38	4	48
13	Brentford FC	38	-8	46
14	Aston Villa	38	-2	45
15	Southampton FC	38	-24	40
16	Everton FC	38	-23	39
17	Leeds United	38	-37	38
18	Burnley FC	38	-19	35
19	Watford FC	38	-43	23
20	Norwich City	38	-61	22

Player	Team	Goals
Salah, Mohamed	Liverpool FC	23
Son, Heung Min	Tottenham Hotspur	23
Ronaldo, Cristiano	Manchester United	18
Kane, Harry	Tottenham Hotspur	17
Mane, Sadio	Liverpool FC	16
De Bruyne, Kevin	Manchester City	15
Jota, Diogo	Liverpool FC	15
Vardy, Jamie	Leicester City	15
Zaha, Wilfried	Crystal Palace	14
Sterling, Raheem	Manchester City	13
Bowen, Jarrod	West Ham United	12
Maddison, James	Leicester City	12
Toney, Ivan	Brentford FC	12
Mount, Mason	Chelsea FC	11
Saka, Bukayo	Arsenal FC	11
Mahrez, Riyad	Manchester City	11
Richarlison	Everton FC	11
Pukki, Teemu	Norwich City	11
Raphinha	Leeds United	11
Watkins, Ollie	Aston Villa	11

Player	Team	Red Cards	Yellow Cards
Mings, Tyrone	Aston Villa	0	11
Xhaka, Granit	Arsenal FC	1	10
Tarkowski, James	Burnley FC	0	11
Firpo, Junior	Leeds United	0	11
Fernandes, Bruno	Manchester United	0	10
Gallagher, Conor	Crystal Palace	0	10
Brownhill, Josh	Burnley FC	0	10
Bednarek, Jan	Southampton FC	0	10
Bissouma, Yves	Brighton & Hove Albion	0	10
Moreno, Rodrigo	Leeds United	0	9
Neves, Ruben	Wolverhampton Wanderers	0	9
Romeu, Oriol	Southampton FC	0	9
Rudiger, Antonio	Chelsea FC	0	9
Mctominay, Scott	Manchester United	0	9
Salisu, Mohammed	Southampton FC	0	8
Ronaldo, Cristiano	Manchester United	0	8
Toney, Ivan	Brentford FC	0	8
Dennis, Emmanuel	Watford FC	0	7
Richarlison	Everton FC	0	8
Pogba, Paul	Manchester United	1	7

Player	Team	Assists
Salah, Mohamed	Liverpool FC	13
Alexander-Arnold, Trent	Liverpool FC	12
Barnes, Harvey	Leicester City	11
Kane, Harry	Tottenham Hotspur	10
Bowen, Jarrod	West Ham United	10
Mount, Mason	Chelsea FC	10
Robertson, Andy	Liverpool FC	10
Maddison, James	Leicester City	9
James, Reece	Chelsea FC	9
Pogba, Paul	Manchester United	9
Cancelo, Joao	Manchester City	9
De Bruyne, Kevin	Manchester City	8
Jesus, Gabriel	Manchester City	8
Kulusevski, Dejan	Tottenham Hotspur	8
Son, Heung Min	Tottenham Hotspur	7
Saka, Bukayo	Arsenal FC	7
Antonio, Michail	West Ham United	7
Lacazette, Alexandre	Arsenal FC	7
Mbeumo, Bryan	Brentford FC	7
Fernandes, Bruno	Manchester United	6