Liverpool's hopes of signing centre-back Josko Gvardiol this summer appear to be diminishing - after the player himself suggested that he is likely to stay with RB Leipzig.
The 21-year-old, who starred at the World Cup for Croatia in Qatar, has been the subject of intense transfer speculation with a trio of Premier League clubs all said to be keen to acquire his services in the summer.
Chelsea and Manchester City have both been linked with a move for the defender as well as the Reds, who could look to make changes to their rear guard options after an underwhelming season. But in a recent interview with Net HR, Gvardiol appeared to rule out a switch to English football in the coming months.
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He said: "RB Leipzig is not interested in selling me this summer, there is no point in talking about anything else.”
And a further comment on social media from Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg appears to have further scuppered Liverpool's hopes of an end-of-season swoop.
Plettenberg tweeted: "News #Gvardiol: Leipzig bosses definitely want to keep him until 2024! They are not considering a sale in summer. We understand that an offer of around €100m wouldn’t change their mind. Many clubs interested: Real Madrid, #CFC, #MCFC, #LFC."
Gvardiol signed a new contract with the Bundesliga club last September, with the deal running until 2027. But his rapidly rising stock has turned the heads of Europe's top clubs, who appear to be happy to part with big money in an effort to land one of the stand-out players of the winter World Cup.
But with Liverpool still targeting a big-money move for fellow Bundesliga star Jude Bellingham, the chances of capturing Gvardiol as well are looking bleak unless Leipzig decide to alter their position.
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