Gvardiol proves his worth to Chelsea with dominant World Cup display

James Shearman

• 1 Dec 2022 19:12 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea transfer target Josko Gvardiol played remarkably well in Croatia's 0-0 draw with Belgium, ensuring their place in the round of 16.

Roberto Martinez's Belgium came into the game knowing that a win would see them quality for the knockout stages.

And the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Kevin de Bruyne and Eden Hazard tried their luck at breaking the deadlock - all to no avail.

Lukaku shows why Chelsea nor Inter want him after Belgium World Cup exit

Gvardiol was the key figure in the heart of the Croatian backline, making sure that they kept a clean sheet.

The 20-year-old was linked with a move to Chelsea in the summer, with the Blues' bid of €90m the highest RB Leipzig received, but he decided to stay and sign a new contract.

However, the west London remain interested and are looking to complete deals for both he and teammate Christopher Nkunku.

Today's performance against Belgium's attacking stars will surely have convinced Chelsea of the need to sign him.

Gvardiol to Chelsea?

Chelsea spent nearly €300 million on players this summer before sacking Thomas Tuchel, but they didn't get every player they wanted.

They were the biggest spenders in the recent transfer window, making Leicester City's Wesley Fofana the most expensive defender of all time with a deal worth north of €80m.

Defence was a key area of concern for the Blues, who lost Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen on free transfers to Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively at the end of last season.

As well as Fofana, Chelsea dropped nearly €40m on Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly and €72m on Brighton's Marc Cucurella - another world record fee, this time for a left-back.

But Chelsea still wanted to sign the 20-year-old, who had some of the best numbers for interceptions, dribbles completed and progressive passes in the Bundesliga last season.

The Blues would certainly be getting a formidable player - one who can just as easily play left-back and central defence - but how would he fit into manager Graham Potter's plans?

Well, Gvardiol would likely be asked to play on the left of a back three, a role that should suit him perfectly.

38-year-old Thiago Silva would exit the starting lineup, with Gvardiol, Koulibaly and Fofana making up a strong defensive unit.