Real Madrid are open to paying €100m for highly-rated defender linked with Liverpool move - Reports

Real Madrid are reportedly open to meeting RB Leipzig's €100 million asking price for Liverpool target Josko Gvardiol.

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Los Blancos believe the Croatia international has what it takes to be the best centre-back in world football. The Reds have recently been linked with a move to Gvardiol by CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs (h/t TeamTalk).

The two teams could battle it out to sign Gvardiol this summer. Real Madrid could lose Nacho Fernandez at the end of the season as his contract expires this summer.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti has David Alaba, Eder Militao, and Antonio Rudiger at his disposal. Jesus Vallejo, in that regard, has proven to be a disappointment and is yet to play a single minute in La Liga this season.

Gvardiol IN ✅

https://t.co/1SBBmsxeWG

Liverpool have their own reasons to target a move for the former Dinamo Zagreb centre-back. Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip are both 31 and cannot keep playing forever.

Joe Gomez and Nathaniel Phillips, meanwhile, have failed to impress on a consistent basis in recent seasons. Gvardiol would hence be an upgrade on most central defenders manager Jurgen Klopp has in his squad.

However, it remains to be seen if the Reds will have the financial bandwidth to onboard the 21-year-old. Klopp has worked on a modest budget under Fenway Sports Group (FSG) and Liverpool are widely expected to make a big move for Jude Bellingham this summer.

The Borussia Dortmund midfielder, who is also on Real Madrid's radar, could cost around €100 million in transfer fees.

Real Madrid target Josko Gvardiol has already revealed his desire to play for Liverpool

Real Madrid transfer target Josko Gvardiol has already admitted his love for Liverpool, doing so in the summer of 2021 when he signed for RB Leipzig.

ℹ️❗️𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗢 - @choria80 🌖:

- @LFC will need to spend more than €200m to sign RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol and Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham this summer. 💰👀 https://t.co/wO6Ic3mFJR

Speaking to Sata24 (h/t Daily Star) in June 2021, Gvardiol admitted:

"Since I was a little boy, my dad and I watched Liverpool matches, and I grew up with only them. When I took football more seriously, I started following them, and I definitely want the Premier League and Liverpool."

This would, of course, bode well for the Reds. However, it would be wise for them not to underestimate Real Madrid's pull in the market, especially after the Aurelien Tchouameni saga last summer.

Both Los Merengues and the Merseyside giants have been linked with moves for Gvardiol and Jude Bellingham. It would be a huge financial commitment to sign both players and hence, it wouldn't be a surprise if they each end up with one of Bellingham or Gvardiol.