Chelsea target Josko Gvardiol had a difficult night on Tuesday evening as Croatia’s World Cup dreams were dashed by Argentina and the fantastic Lionel Messi. The RB Leipzig midfielder struggled on the night and was undone by a special moment from Messi late in the game..
Despite the summer signings of Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Marc Cucurella, Gvardiol has been strongly linked with a move to Stamford Bridge. The Blues were said to be eager to complete a deal last summer, but the Croatian, like teammate Christopher Nkunku, extended his contract with Leipzig.
According to recent reports, Premier League rivals Manchester City have tabled a €110 million (£95 million) bid for the 20-year-old, with Real Madrid and Barcelona also interested..
With a string of impressive performances during the World Cup, Gvardiol’s stock has risen. He shone once more in Croatia’s 2-1 victory over Morocco in the third-place play-off yesterday, scoring his first World Cup goal with a diving header reminiscent of Robin van Persie.
But, with all the attention that comes with being a world-class, young starlet, there is always room for improvement, as Gvardiol’s attempt to keep Messi quiet in the midweek semi-final proved. The 35-year-old repeatedly turned Gvardiol before assisting Julian Alvarez to make it 3-0.
While there’s no harm in being outmatched by one of the greatest players of all time, the lessons Gvardiol would have taken away from the 90 minutes against Messi were highlighted on BBC on Saturday..
Will he benefit from what happened in the semi-final with Messi, Gvardiol, or is that all part of the learning curve? Because the world is at his feet,” Jurgen Klinsmann and Micah Richards were asked by host Mark Chapman..
Absolutely, “Klinsmann explained. “This is one of the experiences he now carries with him. Also having his moment with Messi, he said, “OK, I’ll take that lesson and move on,” and he demonstrated that today, shaking it off and having a brilliant game against [Morocco]. Gvardiol has a lot more to offer.”
Richards praised fellow defender Gvardiol’s performance while highlighting Messi’s talent. “Messi could do that to anybody,” Richards added. “Look at the angles; you can be absolutely perfect, but then you have Messi.”
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