Mateo Kovacic has outlined the role he played in Chelsea's summer pursuit of RB Leipzig defender and Croatia teammate Josko Gvardiol – and is hopeful he will one day play alongside the 20-year-old at club level.
Gvardiol emerged as a key defensive target for Chelsea early into the transfer window but co-owner and interim sporting director Todd Boehly was unable to coax Leipzig into selling the highly-regarded centre-back. And a late attempt to secure a deal that would have seen Gvardiol arrive at Stamford Bridge ahead of the 2023/24 campaign also proved unsuccessful.
Chelsea aren't believed to have dropped their interest in Gvardiol and a move may be revisited in January, although they are likely to face competition from a number of European sides and Premier League champions Manchester City, who are also understood to be tracking the defender.
