"No time to complete the agreement" - Fabrizio Romano confirms Chelsea target has extended contract with current club

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol has signed a new contract to end speculation linking him with Chelsea.

According to the Italian journalist, the 20-year-old centre-back has penned a new five-year deal with the Bundesliga club. The Blues had a €90 million bid rejected the day before and talks are set to continue in January for a move later down the line.

Gvardiol is considered one of the brightest defensive prospects in European football, having played 52 times for Leipzig since his move from Dinamo Zagreb last summer. The youngster has already earned 10 Croatia caps and looks set to play a big role for his country in the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

The Leipzig centre-back is left-footed, which is something Chelsea don't currently possess in their ranks. The blow of missing out on Gvardiol has been softened somewhat by the confirmed capture of Leicester defender Wesley Fofana.

The 21-year-old Frenchman joined Kalidou Koulibaly as a summer arrival at Stamford Bridge following the departures of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger.

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Chelsea target Josko Gvardiol explains why he's staying at RB Leipzig

The Croatian international has become the latest player that Chelsea have reportedly missed out on this summer.

Following the announcement of the contract extension, Gvardiol explained his decision to extend his stay in Germany. He told reporters (as quoted by Leipzig's official Twitter account):

"I really enjoy being here and I wanted to stay here. We have a lot of work to do and a lot to achieve here. We have a good team and we're ready."

He added:

"We're in the Champions League and won the DFB-Pokal last season. We want to compete for trophies once again. I'm grateful to the club for counting on me and planning with me long-term."

RB Leipzig executive Oliver Mintzlaff had warned clubs against trying to sign the club's star defender, stating that Gvardiol would be staying at the club for a long time.

Before signing a 12 month extension to his dea, Mitzlaff stated, per 90min:

"Josko is a great player who will certainly arouse a lot of interest, he still has a contract with us until 2026. We assume that he will not only play with us this season, but also next season."

The Red Bull outfit have endured a difficult start to the season, having won one of their opening four Bundesliga encounters. They currently sit 9th in the league, but open their Champions League campaign against Shakhtar Donetsk next week.