Pep Guardiola speaks to Chelsea and Manchester United target in attempt to convince him to join Manchester City in massive deal: Reports

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has reportedly spoken to RB Leipzig ace Josko Gvardiol, who has also been linked with Chelsea and Manchester United, regarding a potential move in the future.

Gvardiol, 20, has established himself as one of the top defensive prospects in the world over the past two seasons. Since joining Leipzig from Dinamo Zagreb for an initial fee of £13 million in the summer of 2020, he has helped his club lift the 2021-22 DFB Pokal trophy.

A left-footed centre-back renowned for his pace and positioning, the Croatian has been in stellar form at the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He has been a consistent starter for his national team, guiding them to a second successive tournament semi-final.

As per Foot Mercato, Gvardiol has been subject to three high-priced offers from Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United. While the Cityzens have tabled a bid of £94 million, the Blues and the Red Devils have offered close to £81 and £77 million, respectively.

Guardiola has been in touch with the 17-cap Croatia international to convince him about the project at the Etihad Stadium. Manchester City have also held a meeting with RB Leipzig and the player's representatives to discuss a potential permanent transfer in the future.

Gvardiol, who is also adept at operating as a left-back, is considered a top priority for the defending Premier League champions despite the presence of Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, John Stones and Nathan Ake.

Overall, Gvardiol has scored three goals and contributed four assists in 65 games across all competitions for Marco Rose's side. He is expected to be in action in Croatia's 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-final against Argentina on Tuesday (13 December).

Josko Gvardiol drops transfer hint amid Chelsea and Manchester United links

During an interview with The Athletic, Josko Gvardiol was asked for his opinion on being linked with the Blues. He responded:

"About me and Chelsea? I don't know. You know what happened in the last few months. To be honest, I have no idea as of right now."

The Manchester United and Manchester City target added:

"My agent is taking care of this and we will see. Right now, I'm happy in Leipzig. I don't know, we will see – you never know. You know the stories and these things but all I can say is that I'm happy in Leipzig and right now I'm going to stay there and perform for them."