Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Josko Gvardiol to the Premier League this summer.

What's the talk?

That's according to a report by German publication BILD (via Sport Witness), who claim that Spurs 'want' to secure a deal for the RB Leipzig centre-back this summer, with the report suggesting that an offer of €100m (£88m) should be enough for the Bundesliga side to sanction the 20-year-old's departure.

However, BILD go on to state that Tottenham's Premier League rivals Chelsea are also in the race for the Croatia international's signature at the end of the current campaign, with the Blues said to be 'fighting' Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte for the signing of Gvardiol next summer.

"Gladiator"

Considering just how much ability Gvardiol already possess, coupled with the 20-year-old's exponential scope for future development, it is easy to see why Paratici and Conte would be interested in a deal to bring the Leipzig starlet to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next summer.

Indeed, over his 29 Bundesliga appearances last season, the £115m-rated talent was in imperious form in the heart of the Leipzig defence. He helped his side keep seven clean sheets, in addition to making 1.8 interceptions, 1.6 tackles and 1.9 clearances and winning 5.9 duels - at a success rate of 58% - per game.

The £19k-per-week defender also impressed in an attacking capacity in 2021/22, scoring two goals, providing two assists and creating four big chances for his team-mates, along with averaging 3.4 long balls, 1.3 dribbles and 59.3 passes - at a success rate of 84% - per match.

These returns saw the player who Ivica Olic dubbed "extraordinary" average a sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.10, not only ranking him as Leipzig's fourth-best performer in the league but also as the 36th-best player in the entire German top flight in 2021/22.

The 20-year-old also caught the eye for all the right reasons over his seven appearances at the World Cup this winter, helping Croatia to keep two clean sheets, in addition to making 1.3 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 5.3 clearances and winning 2.7 duels - at a success rate of 51% - per match.

The 19-cap international also chipped in his for his country going forwards, scoring one goal in Qatar, along with averaging 3.4 long balls and 66.1 passes - at a success rate of 90% - per game.

These metrics saw the youngster - who journalist Ryan Taylor labelled a "gladiator" - average a breathtaking Sofascore match rating of 7.16. That ranked him as Zlatko Dalić's fifth-best performer in the tournament, with Gvardiol playing a crucial role in Croatia going on to secure a very impressive third-place finish in the most prestigious competition in world football.

As such, considering just how exciting a prospect the 20-year-old evidently is, it would undoubtedly represent an extraordinary coup for Paratici and Tottenham if they manage to beat Chelsea to the signing of the Leipzig sensation this summer, as Gvardiol is very much one of the biggest defensive talents in world football at present.