RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol will cost Premier League sides 100m euros (£87m) this summer should they wish to add the Croatian to their ranks, it has emerged, despite reports that he was not for sale.
Gvardiol is on the radar of much of Europe’s elite, with his performances for club and country over the past 18 months having seen his stock rise dramatically, and it seems certain that he will be Premier League bound in the years to come.
The defender has attracted the attention of Chelsea (who made a bid last summer) as well as Liverpool and Manchester City, while Real Madrid are leading the charge from Europe, though whether they will be able to afford the hefty fee is unclear, and even more unlikely given their massive move for Jude Bellingham that is already in the works.
Gvardiol was expected to remain in Germany this summer, with a £97m release clause in his contract set to kick in next summer, and Leipzig’s coach had seemingly ruled out his sale before then.
‘Josko Gvardiol will be an RB Leipzig player next season as well,’ said Leipzig head coach Marco Rose in February. ‘I am the coach and I am asking for that. He said he wants to play in the Premier League, but he didn’t say when.’
However, Bild report that this is not as certain as first thought, and that Leipzig would entertain bids of around the 100m euro mark this summer, which could hand clubs a chance to get ahead in the race for the 21-year-old’s signature.
