Jurgen Klopp asks Liverpool board to do whatever is necessary to sign €80 million-rated defender: Reports
Jurgen Klopp has reportedly told Liverpool to sign Josko Gvardiol in the summer. He wants the 21-year-old defender at Anfield next season to bolster his defense and has made him the #1 target.
As per a report in El Nacional, Gvardiol has jumped ahead in Liverpool's transfer list. The RB Leipzig defender has been valued at €80 million and is ready to leave the German club in the summer.
Klopp wants to rebuild his squad and was targeting the midfield. However, he also wants the defense to have fresh faces, as the Reds have leaked too many goals this season.
Gvardiol has already admitted that Liverpool is his dream club and has supported them since childhood. The RB Leipzig star told RTLDanas (a Croatian TV channel):
"My dream club? That would definitely be Liverpool. Since I was little, I watched a lot of their matches with my dad. We covered every season in detail. It is a club that has remained in my heart."
Josko Gvardiol has made 32 appearances for RB Leipzig this season, scoring three goals and keeping 11 clean sheets. The Croat also managed to score a goal and keep two clean sheets in seven appearances at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Chelsea made moves to sign Liverpool target last summer
Chelsea were keen on signing Josko Gvardiol last summer and made moves to sign the defender from RB Leipzig. However, the German side were reluctant to sell the Croatian as they wanted him in their squad.
The 21-year-old defender was heavily linked with a move to Chelsea last year but a deal collapsed after the Croat decided to sign a five-year extension with RB Leipzig.
The defender confirmed there was interest from Chelsea and was waiting for them to make a move in the summer. He said:
"Chelsea did not give up, but it was agreed that we would go for the winter. Winter has come, so we need to see what and how to proceed, but it's okay, there's still plenty of time, so we'll see. Nobody presented anything to me. But I'm not in a hurry, we have time, let them arrange the plan, and we'll see."
However, Chelsea signed Benoit Badiashile from Monaco but are said to be still interested in the Reds' target.