Chelsea have reportedly failed with an attempt to sign RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol by sending Timo Werner in the opposite direction.
Gvardiol has already become a regular for club and country at the age of 20, and Leipzig are fighting a battle to keep hold of the youngster this summer.
The centre-back only arrived at the Red Bull Arena from Dinamo Zagreb last summer and made 46 appearances for Die Roten Bullen in all competitions in 2021-22, scoring two goals and setting up three more.
Domenico Tedesco's side are in a strong position when it comes to negotiations, as Gvardiol's contract does not expire until the end of the 2025-26 season.
Nevertheless, Chelsea are actively attempting to prise the Croatia international away from the Red Bull Arena, while Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City have also been linked with a move.
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According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Blues approached Leipzig with an offer for Gvardiol which would have seen Werner head back to the Red Bull Arena on a season-long loan.
German striker Werner only found the back of the net four times in the 2021-22 Premier League season, and Chelsea are supposedly happy to let him leave on loan.
Previous reports had claimed that Werner - who scored 93 goals in 158 games for Die Roten Bullen - had agreed to slash his salary by 50% in order to return to his former club.
However, Tedesco has refused to entertain speculation surrounding Werner's potential return, telling reporters: "Timo Werner isn't my player, isn't our player. He is a player from Chelsea. Therefore, I have a clear opinion on this.
"To not express myself, to not position myself on players, who aren't part of our club, who aren't under contract in our club. In my opinion, that's a matter of respect. That's an important principle, which I set up for me."
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Furthermore, Leipzig are holding firm on their stance that Gvardiol is not for sale, but Chelsea are not prepared to give up in their pursuit of the centre-back.
Thomas Tuchel has already seen Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen leave for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively this summer, and only Kalidou Koulibaly has arrived as a replacement so far.
The Blues were also beaten to the signatures of Matthijs de Ligt and Jules Kounde, with Barcelona swooping in for the latter after Chelsea stalled over a £55m agreement with Sevilla.
Romano adds that Leicester City's Wesley Fofana is Tuchel's number one target, but the Foxes are determined to rebuff offers for the highly-rated Frenchman.
Bayern Munich's Benjamin Pavard is said to have been identified as an alternative option, and the 26-year-old has supposedly decided that he would be open to a move to London.
Ben Knapton
