Fofana signing should ruin Chelsea's Gvardiol plans

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 23 May 2023 09:00 CDT
• 4 min read

As proven many times, a strong World Cup campaign can be the springboard for a career. Time and time again, players are able to secure an eye-catching transfer thanks to an impressive month away for their nation, as seen with the likes of James Rodriguez, Mesut Ozil and Aleksandr Golovin.

Now, Josko Gvardiol had already proven himself before the 2022 Qatar World Cup - at Euro 2020 and in his debut campaign at RB Leipzig - but this tournament has certainly added millions onto his price tag and improved his stature in world football.

The 20-year-old defender has been a colossus in central defence for his nation Croatia, epitomised by his goal-saving slide tackle on Romelu Lukaku in the 0-0 draw with Belgium that sealed their place in the knockout stages.

READ: How Chelsea could line up with Gvardiol

Gvardiol was already heavily on Chelsea's radar before the tournament, with the Blues flirting with the idea of bidding bid to sign him in the summer, before opting against the idea and instead adding Marc Cucurella, Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana.

Despite that hub of summer activity, the Croatian international remains a key target for Chelsea, with rumours of a transfer to Stamford Bridge intensifying thanks to his impressive tournament so far.

Gvardiol has arguably been Croatia's standout player, making the jump from impressive squad player being used out-of-position at left-back at the Euros, to vital component of one of the world's best international teams in the space of 18 months.

READ: The truth about Chelsea target Gvardiol's release clause

As a result, Chelsea are keeping a very close eye on him. However, their summer business should dissuade them from spending a large sum of money on Gvardiol, no matter how good he is.

Why Fofana complicates Gvardiol to Chelsea

While Gvardiol is one of the very best defenders in Europe at just 20 years old, Chelsea should be wary of splashing yet more cash on a player who wouldn't work well with their €80 million summer signing Fofana.

The one thing Fofana has shown himself to be so far during his spell in the Premier League is an incredibly active and front-footed defender.

That can be seen by the fact that he averages 2.01 tackles per 90 and 2.18 interceptions per 90, which rank him in the top 16 and six percent of all centre-backs in Europe.

While this is a great attribute to have, it aligns with how Gvardiol likes to play, who is also the aggressor in a centre-half partnership. The Croatian averages slightly less tackles and interceptions per 90 (1.38 and 1.73), but he is also aggressive in his attacking style of play - completing over 1.0 dribble per 90, which puts him in the top 1% of centre-backs in Europe.

As a result, Fofana and Gvardiol as a pair would likely be a defensive nightmare as both tend to follow forwards who drop deep, looking to win the ball back rather than sit off. Paired with a more relaxed defender they are both great, but if they were to play in a back four together, it would require one of them to change their style of play for the good of the team, and that would hinder their ability.

Gvardiol is excellent, but given Chelsea's investment in Fofana, they must pursue that avenue despite his injury woes. Furthermore, with Thiago Silva approaching the end of his contract and his career, signing a more relaxed defender to partner Fofana must be Chelsea's aim, rather than add another aggressor such as Gvardiol.