Chelsea have been dealt a major blow in their pursuit of RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol after he revealed his desire to play for Real Madrid in the future.
The Blues signed Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana in the summer but they have been consistently linked to the Croatian.
The 20-year-old helped his nation qualify for the knockout stages of the World Cup, keeping a clean sheet in the 0-0 draw with Belgium and speaking to Revelo after the match, he opened up on a potential switch to the Santiago Bernabeu.
"Real Madrid is the biggest club in the world, so who knows. Maybe one day I can play there," the defender told the Spanish outlet.
"Real Madrid, there's no need [to learn about the club], I already know everything. I know it's the biggest club in the world and how important it is to be linked to such a team.
Leipzig would reportedly demand a fee in the region of £78m for the defender, who signed a contract extension until 2027 in September.
Croatia have conceded just one goal at the World Cup in three matches with Gvardiol at the heart of the defence.
