Chelsea 'would be favourites' to sign RB Leipzig ace Josko Gvardiol if they pay his £97 million release clause, Bundesliga insider Christian Falk has informed GiveMeSport.

The Blues have already been busy this window, making five purchases as Graham Potter looks to reignite their prospects of qualifying for continental football.

Chelsea transfer news - Josko Gvardiol?

Earlier this window, 90min reported that Chelsea is in the running to acquire Gvardiol from RB Leipzig, following up on summer interest in the defender that failed to come to fruition.

The Blues failed with a bid of around £77 million to bring him to Stamford Bridge; nevertheless, the 20-year-old 'appreciates' how keen they are to tempt him to West London. They will face competition for his signature, with Tottenham, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Manchester United all mooted to be monitoring his situation.

Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg let slip a few weeks ago that Gvardiol - described as a "gladiator" by journalist Ryan Taylor - has a release clause of €110 million (£97 million), potentially making him the most expensive Bundesliga player ever if he is to be sold.

Chelsea have already made some big money moves this window, signing Benoit Badiashile, Joao Felix, Andrey Santos, David Datro Fofana and Mykhailo Mudryk.

What has Christian Falk said about Josko Gvardiol?

Christian Falk, who has a transfer column for CaughtOffside, has said Chelsea 'would be favourites' to sign the Croatian defender if they were to stump up the cash for his services, though he does expect any deal to be 'really expensive'.

Falk told GMS: "I would say Chelsea would be favourites if they pay that amount, and also Tottenham can hope, but it's really expensive."

Would Gvardiol add some steel to the backline at Chelsea?

Undoubtedly, Gvardiol would seriously improve the Blues' defence if a move was to materialise in the foreseeable future. He has once again been an essential player for RB Leipzig this campaign, while his displays at the World Cup were to savour.

Playing a huge part in Croatia's third-place finish in Qatar, Gvardiol made an average of 5.3 clearances per match during his seven outings at the tournament, as per WhoScored.

His qualities on the ball also set him apart as one of the best young defenders in the world currently. In the Champions League group stage this season, the 20-year-old completed 308 of his 355 passes, giving him a passing accuracy of 91.75%.

Chelsea will soon need to find a long-term replacement for veteran Thiago Silva, who is 38 years old and will see his contract expire at the end of the season unless both parties agree upon an extension.

Former Dinamo Zagreb star Gvardiol could fill the void and prospectively be a key player at Stamford Bridge for many years to come if acquired.