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RB Leipzig sporting director Max Eberl has quashed claims that the Bundesliga club have received offers from Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United for Josko Gvardiol.
Croatia impressed at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, finishing third behind winners Argentina and runners-up France. Starring for them on the big stage was Leipzig centre-back Gvardiol.
Gvardiol did not miss a single minute of action for Zlatko Dalic's side in the tournament. He helped them keep two clean sheets and also found the back of the net in their third-place playoff clash against Morocco.
The 20-year-old is widely regarded as one of the best young defenders in the world, and his displays in Qatar saw his value increase. He is now tipped to secure a transfer to a top European club in the near future.
Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United are among the clubs said to be interested in Gvardiol. There have been claims that the Premier League giants have already tabled offers for him.
Those reports, though, are wide of the mark, according to Leipzig sporting director Eberl. The German executive also joked that he has no intention of even looking at offers that come in for the defender. He told ServusTV [via Inside Futbol]:
“They are all in the spam folder. Gvardiol, offer, straight to spam. So, I haven’t received any.”
Eberl went on to express his delight at having Gvardiol play for Leipzig in the Bundesliga. He then insisted that he hopes the Croatia international stays with the club for the years to come. He said:
“I am happy now that I can work with guys like him and I want to do it for more than half a year. Accordingly, I hope that he will play with us for a long time.”
Chelsea and Manchester United return to action in the Premier League next week
Chelsea and Manchester United have not been in action for over a month due to the FIFA World Cup. However, they are scheduled to return to Premier League action next week.
Manchester United will lock horns with Burnley in the Round of 16 of the EFL Cup today, December 21. They will then face Nottingham Forest at home in the league on Tuesday, December 27.
Chelsea will also return to Premier League action on Tuesday, with AFC Bournemouth set to travel to Stamford Bridge. They currently sit eighth in the table, while the Red Devils are placed fifth.
