Chelsea should stop at nothing to bring Manchester City target Josko Gavrdiol to Stamford Bridge this summer.
That is according to Blues legend Gus Poyet, who believes a defender should now be the top priority for the west Londoners following Wesley Fofana's injury. The Frenchman's latest injury setback will see him sidelined for several months following an operation on his knee. He missed several months last season after injuring the same knee against AC Milan in the Champions League.
"If I were Chelsea, I would sign a defender," Poyet tells Casino Site. "I’m not saying they can’t play the ones that are currently there, but when you lose a player like Fofana for the whole season, you need to react because I’m sure that he was one of the four main central defenders.
"Which kind of player you get, whether it's a young one or an experienced player, is up to Pochettino. It is an interesting option because sometimes you may want to bring in someone with experience if Thiago Silva can’t play, so it would be an interesting decision but they definitely need a defender."
Poyet initially saw a new striker as the club's biggest ambition in the transfer window, but now wants to see his former team rival Man City for highly-touted RB Leipzig defender Gvardiol, who dazzled for Croatia at the 2022 World Cup.
"If you asked me before Fofana’s injury, I would have said a striker depending on Lukaku," Poyet says. "I still don’t know what happened with Lukaku - I don’t even think Lukaku knows what happened with him - but for that we need to wait.
"Out of the defenders out there, the one I like is Man City’s target, Josko Gvardiol, so it’s going to be difficult to get him. But it’s about the characteristics, and that’s a question for Pochettino."
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Chelsea transfer news is starting to gather pace.
The Blues have been linked with Sadio Mane, along with Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar, in a bid to improve their squad, while Manuel Ugarte appears to be PSG-bound. Kylian Mbappe could be on the cards, too, while Andre Onana is still on the radar.
Romelu Lukaku has also been mooted for a return to the squad, though outgoings are inevitable.
