Liverpool could reignite their interest in one centre-back target with whom they were linked earlier this year, according to reports.
Their pursuit of Josko Gvardiol appeared to be over after Football Insider reported in April that the RB Leipzig defender was ‘no longer considered a top target’ at Anfield.
However, the Daily Express have now claimed that Jurgen Klopp could yet go back in for the 21-year-old, who they described as ‘the kind of signing that could really improve the Reds’ strength in reserve and bolster their quality at the back’.
If Liverpool are to land the Croatian, though, they may need to go beyond their current club-record transfer outlay of the £85m spent on Darwin Nunez last year, with Manchester City and Chelsea also expected to be in the running for the centre-back.
The primary focus at Anfield this summer will be on midfielders, with Neil Jones of GOAL stating that the club’s hierarchy want to bring in at least two players in that position during the off-season.
Should that happen, there may be insufficient funds in Klopp’s budget to go large on Gvardiol, if indeed RB Leipzig are to demand a fee in the region of £85m for him.
If Liverpool can possibly negotiate that downward, though, it may improve their chances of signing a superb young defender who Rio Ferdinand dubbed ‘the real deal’ after an eye-catching display against Manchester City in the Champions League earlier this season (BT Sport, via Eurosport).
The Croatian stands out for his excellence in possession, ranking among the top 4% of centre-backs in Europe’s five main leagues for passes per game (87.18) and successful take-ons per 90 (0.63), via FBref.
Depending on how much is spent on midfielders, and how much is recouped in potential player sales, the scope may or may not be there to seriously pursue Gvardiol.
He’ll certainly be expensive, but the Reds would be paying for elite quality and, at 21, the likelihood of him getting even better over the coming decade.