Josko Gvardiol (Image credit: Google)
According to Daily Mail, Leeds United have opened talks to sign Dinamo Zagreb youngster Josko Gvardiol ahead of the next season.
The report suggests that Gvardiol is highly-rated and has attracted the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs. The Whites would face competition to secure the 18-year-old’s services as Bayern Munich are also interested in signing him, as per the report.
Born in Croatia, Gvardiol started his journey with NK Tresnjevka before joining Dinamo’s youth system. He excelled with the club’s youth squads and also helped them reach the quarterfinals of the UEFA Youth League last season.
Despite being a youth player, the teenager made his debut for the senior set-up last season and has made 13 appearances so far. He was also a part of the squad which won the Croatian League title last season. His impressive performance and a swift rise to the top earned him a call-up to Croatia’s U21 squad as he made his debut last November.
The Whites boss Marcelo Bielsa has been busy throughout the summer and has brought in several new faces to the squad. One notable signing at the back has been German international Robin Koch, who arrived a couple of days back from Freiburg.
At the moment, Leeds have Liam Cooper and Koch to form the central defensive pair. They missed out on Ben White and Gaetano Berardi has also left the club last month when his contract came to an end. This has left the Championship winners with limited options at the back. Thus, they need to bring a few more central defenders with a view of the future.
In that regard, Gvardiol would be a fantastic signing by the club. The youngster has already shown his potentials in the last campaign which belies his tender age. He may not walk straight into Bielsa’s starting XI but the teenager could develop himself with the club’s reserve squad before taking the stride into the big games.
His inclusion would definitely add depth to the squad and he still has a lot of room for development. Club captain Cooper is already 29 and wouldn’t be around for the future. Gvardiol can take over from him if he is able to develop under the guidance of Bielsa. Read more
With limited options at the back, it is necessary for the Whites to bring in youngsters for the future. And investing in Gvardiol could help them reap rewards in the future. Thus, they should manage to lure the Croatian to Elland Road at the earliest.
