Chelsea must reportedly fend off interest from Barcelona if they are to land RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol next year.
The 20-year-old has emerged as one of Europe's top defensive prospects and has been linked with a host of top European clubs in recent months.
Gvardiol scored two goals and set up three more in 47 appearances for Leipzig in his debut season, winning the DFB-Pokal and playing 29 games in the Bundesliga.
The Croatia international has one goal to boast from 19 outings in a Leipzig shirt this term and was called up to the Chequered Ones' squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Chelsea were strongly linked with a move for Gvardiol over the summer, but Die Roten Bullen refused to sell up and instead handed the defender a new contract until 2027.
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Gvardiol's fresh terms are not believed to have deterred potential suitors, though, and Chelsea are expected to reignite their interest in the former Dinamo Zagreb man in 2023.
However, Graham Potter's side will not be alone in their pursuit, as Sport - via The Express - claims that Barcelona are also plotting a move for Gvardiol to replace Gerard Pique.
The veteran Spaniard has now retired from professional football after playing his final game for the Catalans against Almeria before being sent off as a substitute in his farewell against Osasuna.
Despite acquiring Andreas Christensen from Chelsea and beating the Blues to the signing of Jules Kounde, Barcelona could now look to further frustrate the Blues in the transfer market by snapping up Gvardiol.
Manchester City's Aymeric Laporte and Athletic Bilbao's Inigo Martinez have both been linked with moves to Camp Nou to replace Pique as well, but the latter recently affirmed that he remains "comfortable" at the Basque club.
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Having missed out on a deal for Kounde after losing Antonio Rudiger and Christensen, Chelsea swooped for Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella in the summer window.
However, the former has been sidelined since October with a knee injury, while Koulibaly and Cucurella have struggled for consistency since arriving at Stamford Bridge.
After penning his new long-term deal at Leipzig, Gvardiol left the door open to a possible move away in January, telling reporters: "I'm happy at Leipzig, I still have a lot to learn and need to work on myself.
"I have people who deal with it, I didn't think about a transfer. We'll see what happens in the winter."
Gvardiol has amassed three goals and four assists from 65 games in a Leipzig shirt since 2021 and will eye a start when Croatia face Morocco in their World Cup 2022 Group F opener with Morocco on Wednesday.
Ben Knapton
