An update has emerged on Chelsea and their plans to further add to their squad in the summer transfer window...

What's the talk?

According to French outlet Foot Mercato, the Blues are not planning to stop their spending spree heading into the summer as they are eyeing up a deal to sign RB Leipzig central defender Josko Gvardiol.

The report claims that the Croatian international and Borussia Monchengladbach's Marcus Thuram are two players on Todd Boehly's transfer wishlist heading into the end of the campaign.

Gvardiol reportedly has a €110m (£97m) release clause in his contract with the Bundesliga outfit but it remains to be seen how much the Blues are willing to splash out on the defender.

The future

Boehly could land Graham Potter the dream heir to Kalidou Koulibaly by securing a deal to sign the Croatian enforcer ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign.

At the age of 31, Koulibaly may not be a long-term option in the heart of the defence for the Blues and bringing in a talented young player in that position, in the form of the Leipzig star, could safeguard the club's future.

Signing an heir for the Senegal international this summer, instead of further down the line when he is heading towards the end of his career, could be a shrewd move by the club as they could slowly integrate him into the team instead of needing to chuck him in at the deep end.

Gvardiol has shown plenty of promise in his short career to date and could be an excellent addition to the squad. At the 2022 World Cup, the 21-year-old averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.16 across seven appearances as the 6 foot 2 tank made 2.9 tackles and interceptions per match for his country.

That came after the gem averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.10 in his 29 outings in the Bundesliga for Leipzig in the 2021/22 campaign - making 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game.

Meanwhile, Koulibaly has averaged a rating of 6.98 and made 3.1 tackles and interceptions per match in the Premier League for Chelsea this season.

This suggests that Gvardiol could come in as a potential upgrade on the 31-year-old if the Croatian talent is able to translate that form for Leipzig and Croatia over to the English top-flight.

Therefore, the 21-year-old, who was once hailed as "complete" by scout Jacek Kulig, could be the dream heir for Koulibaly as he could be a long-term upgrade on the former Napoli star.