Inter Milan now trying to beat Tottenham to £44m World Cup superstar

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Inter Milan have reportedly joined the race to sign RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol, who Tottenham are also interested in recruiting in January alongside London rivals Chelsea.

According to TuttoMercatoWeb, the UEFA Champions League side, who won the 2020/21 Serie A title under Spurs manager Antonio Conte, are keeping tabs on the 20-year-old defender throughout the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with Gvardiol starting both games for Croatia in the competition so far.

With a release clause of £44m, Leipzig are expecting Gvardiol to leave the club next year amid intense interest in the wonderkid defender, with Tottenham now facing even more competition for the centre-back in the form of Inter, with Juventus also joining the pack this week according to Tuttosport.

Gvardiol is regarded by many as one of the best young defenders in world football, with the left-footed centre-back a star for Leipzig and now an emerging pillar for the Croatia national team. And for Tottenham, signing such a talent would be an incredible coup for Conte.

However, Inter’s interest complicates matters immensely for the north London side, with the Nerazzurri keen to restructure their entire defence around Milan Skriniar once the Slovakian international has penned a new long-term contract with the Italian giants.

Indeed, with Stefan De Vrij and Denzel Dumfries expected to leave Inter, as per TuttoMercatoWeb, adding Gvardiol would be an exciting signing for the Serie A side, especially if they can beat out a former manager in Conte to the defender’s signature.

Tottenham can’t allow Inter to sign Gvardiol next year

A world-class defender to build for the future is what many Tottenham fans would consider a key signing in 2023, and Gvardiol is as perfect a player the north London club can bring in within their limitations. Which is why Inter winning the race for the Croat will be such a blow for Conte.

After all, the Italian manager missing out on a major target like Gvardiol to a former club where he left on poor terms will sting for Conte. And for Tottenham, losing on the race to a club with limited resources will hurt even more so, making this transfer saga one to keep an eye on.