Josko Gvardiol

SirReginald

New Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2019
Messages
2,295
Supports
Chelsea
You are using false logic there. I am not questioning players desire to play for Real because it is as you said; "Who wouldn't want to play for Real. But seems to me that all players are just desperate to go there. United, Liverpool, Juve, Bayern... are seen as "well i am going there because Real didn't call".
This is how it’s been for years. Even Barcelona despite being a pretty inconsistent league team for a long time until 2003/04 onwards. If clubs were tiered Barcelona and Madrid would be S tier and teams like you mentioned would be A tier.
 

carvajal

Full Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2015
Messages
11,182
Location
Spain
Supports
Real Madrid
After Suker and Lukita it would seem wrong to me if Croatians were not attracted to Madrid.
I remember I thought he was great when we played against Leipzig, but without prior knowledge, without knowing he was a player to watch.
Unfortunately I'm afraid there are no places in our defence
 

Real Name

Full Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2020
Messages
14,484
Location
Croatia
Today's headlines in Croatia; "Real Madrid is the biggest club in the world and i would love to play there"-Gvardiol

Ffs yes, they have most trophies but why are all players so desperate to go in club where fans will boo you after one bad game? And to play in 2 horse league?
Where was that? From what I read his dream is to play in England actually.
 

Gandalf

Full Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2018
Messages
4,901
Location
Alabama but always Wales in my heart
I think that is a fairly generic response to being linked with a traditional big club. I am not sure it is any indication he wants to go there and I imagine he would have said much the same about being lnked with us or Juve etc. There is still a lot of smoke around Chelsea and if Boehly isn't done overpaying he may well end up there at the end of the day.
 

Real Name

Full Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2020
Messages
14,484
Location
Croatia
I think that is a fairly generic response to being linked with a traditional big club. I am not sure it is any indication he wants to go there and I imagine he would have said much the same about being lnked with us or Juve etc. There is still a lot of smoke around Chelsea and if Boehly isn't done overpaying he may well end up there at the end of the day.
Exactly this.
 

Bluelion7

Full Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2021
Messages
1,257
Supports
Chelsea
The counter argument to that would be it keeps players on their toes and with it standards so high that could do a long way to explaining why they're almost always challenging hard for the big two trophies.
La Liga has real issues though. The “Remaining 3” spearheaded by Perez have a very important court date very soon on the Superleague. Barca and Juve seem to have switched to focusing on the penalty money, but Madrid is still steadfastly convinced they can push the league through legally.

So it doesn’t matter if fans argue about the league being an issue. Madrid themselves think it is a long term issue.
 

SirReginald

New Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2019
Messages
2,295
Supports
Chelsea
I think that is a fairly generic response to being linked with a traditional big club. I am not sure it is any indication he wants to go there and I imagine he would have said much the same about being lnked with us or Juve etc. There is still a lot of smoke around Chelsea and if Boehly isn't done overpaying he may well end up there at the end of the day.
I mean if he is as good as they say I don’t think £80 mil would be over paying. Unless you would like to concede that a transfer such as £80 mil for Pogba back in 2016 was astronomically overpriced.
 

Gandalf

Full Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2018
Messages
4,901
Location
Alabama but always Wales in my heart
I mean if he is as good as they say I don’t think £80 mil would be over paying. Unless you would like to concede that a transfer such as £80 mil for Pogba back in 2016 was astronomically overpriced.
I will happily concede the point on Pogba, but my comment was more to do with the prices paid for Fofana and Cucurella with the latter looking like a piece of business on a par with paying 50M for AWB. You can only ever know if someone was overpriced in hindsight but Boehly has clearly shown a tendency to just keep raising the bid until he gets his man, that was how he hijacked Cucurella from Manchester City and it is a reputation he is developing. I would expect him to outbid allcomers for Gvardiol if he wants him but more to the point his current club will think that too and might try to fleece him. We had years of this with Woodward so we know how it goes.
 

GoonerBear

Full Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2020
Messages
3,177
Supports
Arsenal
Couldn't stop the onslaught at Ibrox last season. ;)

In all seriousness, is looking like a top player already. Expect his transfer to Chelsea to be finalised and him and Nkunku will be turning out for Boehly's All Stars next season.
 

Baneofthegame

Full Member
Joined
May 15, 2019
Messages
3,072
I mean if he is as good as they say I don’t think £80 mil would be over paying. Unless you would like to concede that a transfer such as £80 mil for Pogba back in 2016 was astronomically overpriced.
It was overpriced when looking back on his performance for us.
 

Dancfc

Full Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2016
Messages
7,444
Supports
Chelsea
I will happily concede the point on Pogba, but my comment was more to do with the prices paid for Fofana and Cucurella with the latter looking like a piece of business on a par with paying 50M for AWB. You can only ever know if someone was overpriced in hindsight but Boehly has clearly shown a tendency to just keep raising the bid until he gets his man, that was how he hijacked Cucurella from Manchester City and it is a reputation he is developing. I would expect him to outbid allcomers for Gvardiol if he wants him but more to the point his current club will think that too and might try to fleece him. We had years of this with Woodward so we know how it goes.
Unfortunently it's looking that way with Cucurella (although I don't think he's been as bad as is made out) but I think you're being bit harsh on Forfana, injury permitting he's going to be a top class CB.

The only worry I'll have about getting both is what it means for Colwill, I'm far from a youth obsessed fan but for me he's close to James level sure bet.
 
Joined
Oct 30, 2016
Messages
6,048
Been the best defender in the tournament. Elite defender in the making. He’s shut down every single Japan attack in the second half of this R16 game.
 

ZolaWasMagic

Full Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2018
Messages
2,714
Supports
Chelsea
That is almost word for word his Chelsea response.

Josko Gvardiol to
@TheAthleticFC
on Chelsea: “My agent is taking care of this & we’ll see. Right now I’m happy in Leipzig. #CFC a big club + maybe 1 day I’ll be there. Nice to see things like this, especially because there is Kovacic. So you never know”
 

TheReligion

Abusive
Joined
Nov 22, 2006
Messages
51,662
Location
Manchester
That is almost word for word his Chelsea response.

Josko Gvardiol to
@TheAthleticFC
on Chelsea: “My agent is taking care of this & we’ll see. Right now I’m happy in Leipzig. #CFC a big club + maybe 1 day I’ll be there. Nice to see things like this, especially because there is Kovacic. So you never know”
Seems like he’s has his head turned by Real and is keeping his options open.
 

DickDastardly

New Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2015
Messages
7,298
Location
Mean machine 00
Break the piggy bank for this lad.

Yes i know, we have Martinez and Varane + a load of crap at CB.

But this kid is world fecking class.

Happy to see him at Real as long he's not in the PL if he's not ours.
 

Dancfc

Full Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2016
Messages
7,444
Supports
Chelsea
He sounds a lot more certain on a move to Real than Chelsea.

He likely knows he’s playing well and could have his pick.
It's not exactly news is it?

No club with the possible exception a fully functioning and competing Milan can compete with Madrid when it comes to player affections.

It's just a reality everyone else has to work around sadly.
 

GoonerBear

Full Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2020
Messages
3,177
Supports
Arsenal
He sounds a lot more certain on a move to Real than Chelsea.

He likely knows he’s playing well and could have his pick.
Think we all know if Real really want him they'll get him. However, we don't really know if that's going to be the case.

We do know that Chelsea will be going all in for him for sure. Id imagine Real will have to play their hand sooner rather than later or he'll end up at Chelsea.
 

TheReligion

Abusive
Joined
Nov 22, 2006
Messages
51,662
Location
Manchester
It's not exactly news is it?

No club with the possible exception a fully functioning and competing Milan can compete with Madrid when it comes to player affections.

It's just a reality everyone else has to work around sadly.
True. Chelsea have lost out on plenty of players this summer already and had to pick up other players. Just a reality I guess.
 

WeePat

Full Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2015
Messages
17,887
Supports
Chelsea
He’s got his spot in the team of the tournament sewn up I think.
 
Last edited:

Sly

Hang Ten
Scout
Joined
Mar 5, 2013
Messages
12,330
Location
Lisbon
Supports
Sporting Clube Portugal
He has been the best CB in this WC for me
 

SirReginald

New Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2019
Messages
2,295
Supports
Chelsea
Think we all know if Real really want him they'll get him. However, we don't really know if that's going to be the case.

We do know that Chelsea will be going all in for him for sure. Id imagine Real will have to play their hand sooner rather than later or he'll end up at Chelsea.
This is true. We went hard when he wasn’t for sale and given his performances and our dialogue over other players, I can’t imagine we wouldn’t go hard again. Hopefully Kovacic can give him a nudge this way because we can’t keep relying on Silva.
 

justsomebloke

Full Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2020
Messages
6,027
After Suker and Lukita it would seem wrong to me if Croatians were not attracted to Madrid.
I remember I thought he was great when we played against Leipzig, but without prior knowledge, without knowing he was a player to watch.
Unfortunately I'm afraid there are no places in our defence
I am so happy to hear that (in view of the Martinez rumours). :)
 

Champ

Refuses to acknowledge existence of Ukraine
Joined
Jun 17, 2017
Messages
9,892
Thought he was poor against Japan personally.
Have the ball away constantly and was played around far to easy.
 

Champ

Refuses to acknowledge existence of Ukraine
Joined
Jun 17, 2017
Messages
9,892
No way! He was so good against Japan. He stopped all of their attacks by himself from minute 45 onwards.
Stats certainly don't back this up,

For sure he had a better second half but in the first half Japan were cutting Croatia to shreds.
Not all his fault and can't be good playing alongside his defensive partner back there!
But he gave the ball away repeatedly and looked shaky for me.
 

Champ

Refuses to acknowledge existence of Ukraine
Joined
Jun 17, 2017
Messages
9,892
Thought he was poor against Japan.

But tonight he has been imperious, absolutely tremendous performance.

Has been a rock at the back for Croatia in this game.