Chelsea ‘would be favourites’ to sign Josko Gvardiol should he leave RB Leipzig and move to the Premier League, according to journalist Christian Falk.

The Lowdown: Gvardiol offers hope

The Croatian’s contract at the Red Bull Arena isn’t set to expire until 2027, but with a £97m release clause included, there’s a chance he could be set to make an exit before that date.

The Blues are one of several clubs to have been credited with an interest in the centre-back having failed in their attempts to secure him last summer, with attention having grown since his solid performances at the World Cup.

The 21-year-old has also recently admitted that the two parties agreed to revisit the deal this month with the top-flight being his preferred next destination, offering fresh hope that he could still move to Stamford Bridge in the near future.

The Latest: Chelsea in pole position?

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Falk claimed that Chelsea would be the club leading the race for his signature should they put the money on the table, but suggested that they would indeed be set to face competition from one of their London rivals.

“I would say Chelsea would be favourites if they pay that amount, and also Tottenham can hope, but it’s really expensive.”

The Verdict: One for the future

Gvardiol has been dubbed ‘The Haaland of defenders’ by scout Jacek Kulig, and looking at his statistics, that praise is certainly justified and he would be a hugely exciting signing for the future of Chelsea.

The left-footed colossus currently ranks in the 99th percentile for dribbles completed, in the 95th percentile for progressive passes and 87th percentile for shot-creating actions, as per FBRef (vs other centre-backs in top five leagues), highlighting his vision and composure in playing out from the back.

The Zagreb native also has seven goal contributions to his name for Leipzig, showing the threat he can bring to set pieces, making him the perfect candidate to really come in and be a dominant figure in the heart of Graham Potter's team.