Tottenham Hotspur target Josko Gvardiol is out of their league due to his astronomical price tag, Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor has told GiveMeSport.
The 20-year-old has been linked with a move away from RB Leipzig since last summer and appears to have garnered even more interest in his services following an impressive World Cup with Croatia.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news – Josko Gvardiol
Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport have claimed that Chelsea, Tottenham, Juventus, and Real Madrid are all eager to snap up Gvardiol but his agent Marjan Sisic has claimed his client is in ‘no hurry’ to move on.
“Regarding a possible transfer in summer 2023, we are in no hurry, and I can make clear that there are no pre-agreements with any clubs,” Sisic told Sky Sport Germany.
“For sure, a lot of top clubs have shown interest in him, but Josko has a long-term contract in Leipzig.”
Meanwhile, French outlet FootMercato have claimed that Chelsea are already involved in a bidding war for Gvardiol with Premier League rivals Manchester City and Manchester United.
City are said to have offered £85 million plus add-ons, while the Blues and United have tabled bids between £77 million and £82 million for the in-demand centre-back.
What has Taylor said about Gvardiol?
Tottenham’s record purchase at this moment in time is Tanguy Ndombele, who arrived for £63 million from Lyon back in 2019.
Read more: January Transfer Window 2023: When Does It Begin, Rumours and Everything You Need To Know
And Taylor has informed GMS that he believes Gvardiol may be out of the north London outfit’s price range with Daniel Levy a notoriously tough negotiator.
He said: “I think there was an acceptance last summer that he was already out of Spurs’ price range because Chelsea had a proposal worth about €80 million rejected by Leipzig, which included him spending a year back on loan at the club, so he's out of Spurs’ league.”
How did Gvardiol perform at the World Cup?
Gvardiol played every minute of Croatia’s run to the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar, with Taylor even describing him as "sublime" and a "gladiator", but he wasn’t able to prevent his nation losing 3-0 to Argentina.
As per WhoScored, the 6 foot 1 ace averaged 1.3 interceptions, an eye-catching 5.5 clearances, and 0.7 blocks per game throughout the showpiece event, placing him in the top three for each metric amongst his teammates.
His outstanding displays led to compatriot Borna Barisic saying that God has given Gvardiol “everything in football” and that he plays as though he already has 100 caps under his belt.
Gvardiol’s performances at the World Cup may have increased his price tag even further, and it is unlikely that Tottenham will come out on top in a bidding war with Europe’s elite clubs.