Chelsea may have Lionel Messi to thank if Graham Potter’s top target becomes a success | Football | Sport

Chelsea have been told that January transfer target Josko Gvardiol’s experience dealing with Lionel Messi in Croatia’s World Cup semi-final could make him a better player in the future. The 20-year-old centre-back has been strongly linked with a move to Stamford Bridge following his impressive performances in Qatar, while the Blues were reportedly close to sealing a £77million deal to sign the defender in the summer.

Gvardiol impressed once again in the third-placed play-off as Croatia defeated Morocco 2-1 on Saturday and despite being unable to keep a clean sheet, the RB Leipzig talent scored his first-ever World Cup goal after steering a diving header past Yassine Bounou following a flick-on from Ivan Perisic.

In midweek, however, Messi created a moment of magic as he turned Gvardiol several times before going past the defender once again to deliver an assist for Julian Alvarez in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Croatia as part of a memory that Gvardiol will not look back on fondly. After Saturday’s game, BBC host Mark Chapman asked the punditry panel what effect Messi’s assist will have on Gvardiol.

“He will benefit won’t he, Gvardiol, from what happened in the semi-final with Messi, I mean that’s all part of the learning curve? Because the world is at his feet,” Chapman asked Jurgen Klinsmann and Micah Richards.

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With Gvardiol’s tournament now over and Croatia securing a bronze medal, his attention will swiftly turn towards his club future with several top European teams circling for his signature. Real Madrid and Manchester City are two of the clubs set to rival Graham Potter’s side, who have a long-standing interest in the defender.

There were reports claiming that a deal had been agreed late in the summer transfer window for Gvardiol to join Chelsea as part of a £77m deal that would see him remain in Leipzig for the season, but those rumours were since denied.

The Blues will hope to have an advantage over their competitors for Gvardiol due to their positive relationship with the Bundesliga side, having successfully agreed a deal to sign a second Leipzig star in Christopher Nkunku according to reports.