Liverpool are believed to be interested in signing RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, but the Bundesliga side’s manager has insisted the Croatian will not leave the club in the summer.
Chelsea were linked with a move for the 21-year-old last year and in January, but no move ever materialized and with the Reds struggling for consistency this term and sending five goals past Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday , Fabrizio Romano (via GOAL) has now stated that the Anfield side have joined the race for the centre-back.
Gvardiol scored last night as Leipzig pushed Manchester City to a 1-1 draw in Germany and while he has previously admitted he wants to play in the Premier League and is a big Liverpool fan, that means nothing at the moment according to his current manager Marco Rose.
“Josko Gvardiol will also be a RB Leipzig player next season,” Rose told tv2sport (via Metro). “I am the coach and I am asking for that.
“He is happy here. He said that he wants to play in the Premier League, but he didn’t say when!
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The Croatian international impressed at the World Cup in Qatar late last year when he helped his nation reach the semi-finals before they were beaten 3-0 by eventual tournament winners Argentina.
Injuries have prevented Jurgen Klopp from having an established central defensive partnership this term with Ibou Konate currently sidelined and Virgil van Dijk recently returned to fitness following a hamstring injury.
Joe Gomez and Joel Matip have struggled for consistency this season, so adding reinforcements in the box certainly isn’t a bad idea.
Leipzig would reportedly be looking to make Gvardiol the most expensive defender in football history if he were to leave the club in the near future.
A report via TEAMTALK claims the defender has an ‘exit clause’ in his contract with the German squad, meaning he could leave the club in the summer of 2024 if he received a £98m offer.
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