Liverpool “could become contenders” in the race to sign RB Leipzig and Croatia centre-back Joško Gvardiol for Jürgen Klopp’s squad at Anfield, transfer insider Dean Jones has suggested to GiveMeSport.

The Reds could be looking at defensive reinforcements following a hamstring injury to Virgil van Dijk earlier this month.

Liverpool transfer news – Joško Gvardiol

Speaking to RTL Danas, Gvardiol named Liverpool as his dream club, due to watching several games with his Dad when he was younger, potentially hinting at a future move to Anfield.

However, a deal to sign the Croatian star won’t be easy, with Real Madrid reportedly interested in a move for the centre-back as per Marca.

It is also said that RB Leipzig have inserted a £110m release clause in Gvardiol’s contract, suggesting that the 20-year-old is extremely highly rated by the Bundesliga side.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano told GiveMeSport last month that Chelsea were working on a deal to sign Gvardiol after the centre-back helped Croatia to a third-place finish at the World Cup in December.

But Jones has also suggested that Liverpool could maybe become contenders in the race for the 6 foot defender’s services.

What has Jones said about Liverpool and Gvardiol?

When asked about a potential Liverpool move for Gvardiol, Jones told GiveMeSport: “Maybe they can become contenders. We should probably consider that it's in Gvardiol’s interests to build up all the hype around him to make sure that there's a tussle to sign him.

“I think from a club standpoint, they’ll be happy for that to be the case with Gvardiol at the moment whilst he stays where he is.”

Would Gvardiol be a good signing for Liverpool?

Gvardiol, dubbed as “sensational” by journalist Zach Lowy, has been in extremely impressive form this season, having helped Leipzig keep four clean sheets in 13 Bundesliga appearances, according to Transfermarkt.

This was followed by an excellent showing for Croatia at the World Cup for which he achieved an average WhoScored rating of 6.94 after making 1.3 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game, according to Sofascore.

However, following interest from Real Madrid and Chelsea, there’s no doubt that Liverpool and Klopp will have a battle on their hands to secure the signature of one of the world’s hottest centre-back properties.

At the age of 20, the Reds may feel that the Croatian can be a long-term solution for the 31-year-olds in van Dijk and Joël Matip and will be hoping that the defender’s dream comes into play during transfer negotiations.

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