Chelsea are ‘confident’ of agreeing a second deal with RB Leipzig to sign defender Josko Gvardiol alongside Christopher Nkunku in January, according to journalist Graeme Bailey.

The Lowdown: Long-standing interest

The Premier League giants allegedly made a £77.4m offer for the centre-back over the summer, but the Bundesliga outfit refused to sell and he later went on to sign a contract extension.

The Croatian, however, does have a £43m release clause included in his fresh deal which can be activated from next summer onwards, and it sounds like Todd Boehly is ready to table more than required to secure his target.

The Latest: Bailey’s comments

Speaking to TEAMtalk, Bailey delivered a significant update on Chelsea’s pursuit of Gvardiol.

“I’m told Chelsea have been tracking him since his Dinamo Zagreb days, and they have followed him closely since he arrived in Germany with RB Leipzig,

“They made their initial move earlier in the year, which pre-empted him signing his new deal, but that simply locked the value in for Leipzig.

“Chelsea are confident that they can get a deal done, and they want him and Christopher Nkunku sorted by January.

“Gvardiol has a release clause of nearly £44m, but it looks like it will be done without hitting the clause which will enable Chelsea to pay in instalments, so would actually likely be more in the end.

“Chelsea know that Gvardiol’s performances at the World Cup have been supreme so they need to get this done sooner rather than later.

“But the player knows the Chelsea interest has been there for a long time and has indicated a willingness to move to West London.”

The Verdict: Alongside Nkunku?

Christopher Nkunku is already closing in on a move to Stamford Bridge in 2023, and Gvardiol could be the next to follow in his footsteps from Leipzig.

The 6 foot star has an 89.1% pass success rate and currently averages 3.3 long balls and 1.5 clearances per league game (WhoScored), and is thriving in Qatar too.

Graham Potter would be adding a real rock with long-term potential to his backline by landing Gvardiol, making him a hugely exciting addition in the capital.