Fabrizio Romano has shared that Bayern Munich director Hasan Salihamidžić has stated in an interview with German newspaper Bild that the Bundesliga giants are not planning to raid RB Leipzig for Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol.
The 20-year-old has been the talk of the World Cup as he helped his side to a third-place finish and impressed with some impressive performances. Labelled an “extraordinary talent”, Gvardiol has been linked with a number of Europe’s top clubs with interest only growing stronger following his performances in Qatar.
Bayern Munich Bow Out of the Race for RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol
Bayern director Salihamidžić on Josko Gvardiol links: "No signing of another centre-back is planned", tells Bild. 🚨🔴 #FCBayern
"We're well-equipped at centre-back with de Ligt, Lucas Hernández and Upamecano, three top players. We also have Josip Stanišić". pic.twitter.com/RGE927dklF
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 22, 2022
Race Heats Up for ‘Extraordinary Talent’
Gvardiol played every minute at the World Cup for Croatia and turned in some impressive performances as his side managed a third-place finish at the tournament. Although all of his minutes came at the centre-back spot, the left-footer is also capable of deputising at left-back where he has featured previously for both club and country.
For RB Leipzig, the Croatia international has made 42 Bundesliga appearances at both left-back and centre-back and has impressed with his solid defensive play whilst also showing an ability to start attacks from the back line. Amongst fellow centre-backs in Europe’s top-five leagues, Gvaradiol ranks in the 99th percentile for both Passes attempted and Dribbles completed, as well as in the 94th percentile for Progressive passes. Therefore, the versatile defender is a modern manager’s dream as he can join attacks as well as carry out his defensive responsibilities to a high standard.
The strong performances at the World Cup and an emerging reputation within the Bundesliga have only helped increase the number of rumours around the 20-year-old’s future. Chelsea have regularly been linked with the player, as have Premier League rivals Manchester City and Liverpool just to name a few. However, it seems that Bayern have ruled themselves out of the running with Salihamidžić’s comments, as the director stated that the club are “well equipped at centre-back”.
Read More: Croatia Defender Josko Gvardiol Is Part of the Next Generation
Are Bayern Munich ‘Well-Equipped’ at Centre Back?
The Bundesliga Champions, who also find themselves in 1st-place after 15 games played in the 2022/23 season, completed the signing of Mathias de Ligt in the summer and also have former RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano who joined in the summer of 2021. While Upamecano struggled to live up to lofty expectations at Bayern following his move, he has since become a key figure for the team and is also fresh from impressive performances with France at the World Cup.
Bayern also have fellow France international Lucas Hernandez, who has been a regular fixture at both Centre-Back and Left-Back for the Bundesliga side. However, the 26-year-old has struggled with injuries this season, making only seven Bundesliga appearances. Therefore, with several high-quality options at the centre-back positions, many of which have not long arrived at the Allianz Arena, it’s understandable why the Munich club have excluded themselves from the race for Gvardiol.
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