Chelsea and Spurs’ £99m target Gvardiol declares love for Liverpool

Chelsea and Tottenham transfer target Josko Gvardiol has hinted he’d prefer a move to Liverpool about revealing he supported the Reds as a youngster. The Croatian international, who is expected to leave RB Leipzig in the summer, is wanted by several European heavyweights.

Chelsea are one of the frontrunners for the 20-year-old’s signature, having come agonisingly close to sealing a deal for him back in the summer. Gvardiol was already one of the most sought-after centre-backs in Europe before the World Cup but the tournament in Qatar only enhanced his reputation.

The defender put in a number of sterling performances to help Croatia finish third overall. Sport BILD claim Gvardiol, who is contracted at Leipzig until 2027, has a clause in his contract that could see teams pay £99m for him in the summer.

However, they also claim a deal could be struck early for between £70m and £88m. A deal appears much likelier in the summer, though Chelsea and Tottenham will fear the worst with Gvardiol admitting he prefers one of their main rivals.

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Chelsea, meanwhile, are expected to splash the cash this month and are considering a mega-money deal for Brighton’s Mosies Caicedo after Enzo Fernandez’s proposed £112m move from Benfica fell through. The Stamford Bridge outfit are also plotting to hijack Arsenal’s move for hot-heeled winger Mykhaylo Mudryk.

Arsenal have already had two bids turned down and it’s been reported that Chelsea lodged their own offer of £70m for the Ukrainian, who is being priced nearer to the £100m mark by Shakhtar. However, Mudryk’s agent, Oleksiy Alyokhin, has this week played down talk of a bid from Chelsea.

Alyokhin said: “Mudryk is a Shakhtar player and the decision on his transfer will be made by the management of the Donetsk club. Mykhaylo is now preparing to go with Shakhtar to the collection. Trust only official information.”

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