Do Liverpool need Josko Gvardiol? Reds advised against joining transfer tussle by John Barnes
- Croatian defender catching the eye
- Plying his trade in the Bundesliga
- Klopp set to be busy in upcoming windows
WHAT HAPPENED? The Reds are one of several sides from across Europe to be have been credited with interest in Croatia international centre-half Gvardiol. On the back of his impressive performances at the 2022 World Cup, while also catching the eye for Bundesliga employers RB Leipzig, it is considered to be only a matter of time before the talented 21-year-old finds himself on the move.
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WHAT THEY SAID: Barnes is not convinced that Anfield needs to be his next port of call, amid links to the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea, with the Liverpool legend telling BonusCodeBets: “Josko Gvardiol was very good at the World Cup but I don’t necessarily think that we need him right now. We have Joe Gomez, Ibrahim Konate, Joel Matip, Virgil van Dijk and they are very good players. So, it’s not at the centre-back position that we need new players.
“He (Gvardiol) would be a very good addition. He has a lot of qualities and he is strong. He is a fantastic player who is very agile and mobile. I think he would be able to do a good job for Liverpool. But again, we can’t rely on individual quality. Even if we bring new players in, the team has to make them look good and not the other way around.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Gvardiol, who is also being heavily linked with La Liga giants Real Madrid, is under contract in Germany until 2027 – although there is said to be a release clause in those terms that will come into effect during the summer of 2024.
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WHAT NEXT? It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will form part of any scramble for Gvardiol’s signature, with Jurgen Klopp expected to be busy in upcoming windows as he endeavours to freshen up a squad that has endured uncharacteristic struggles for consistency in 2022-23.