Gvardiol names Liverpool as ‘dream club’ amid interest from Chelsea, Man City and Real Madrid

Gvardiol has been linked with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid after enjoying an outstanding World Cup campaign with Croatia, starting all seven of his country’s games as they clinched the bronze medal.

The 20-year-old led all defenders for interceptions (11) and clearances (37) at the tournament, also scoring with a brilliant diving header in his team’s third-place play-off against Morocco.

Gvardiol partnered former Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren at the heart of Croatia’s defence in Qatar, and he is enthusiastic about the prospect of following in his footsteps by moving to Anfield.

“My dream club? That would definitely be Liverpool,” he told RTLDanas.

“Since I was little, I watched a lot of their matches with my dad. We covered every season in detail. It is a club that has remained in my heart.”

However, Gvardiol is in no rush to leave Leipzig – who sit third in the Bundesliga during the competition’s mid-season break – before the end of the campaign.

“I’m not in a hurry,” he said. “I’m at Leipzig and we still have six months to finish the season and to win something. Then we will look further to the future.”

Surely Joško is in the Team of the Tournament, right? pic.twitter.com/1jRiELrSHV

— RB Leipzig English (@RBLeipzig_EN) December 20, 2022

Chelsea were strongly linked with a move for Gvardiol in the last transfer window before signing fellow defenders Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana, and the Leipzig man revealed he was close to moving to Stamford Bridge.

“Last summer a transfer was close and [Leipzig] simply kept me. I hope to spend these six months with [Leipzig],” he added.

“Chelsea did not give up, but it was agreed that we would go for the winter. Winter has come, so we need to see what and how to proceed, but it’s okay, there’s still plenty of time, so we’ll see.

“Nobody presented anything to me. But I’m not in a hurry, we have time, let them arrange the plan and we’ll see.”