"My agent called me..." - Liverpool and Chelsea target opens up on failed Premier League move

Liverpool and Chelsea target Josko Gvardiol opened up about his failed summer move to the Premier League.

According to Football Transfers, Gvardiol is Liverpool’s primary defensive target ahead of the summer transfer. Indeed, the Croatian international is thought to be top of the club’s four-man defensive shortlist.

However, RB Leipzig are reportedly unwilling to sell the player unless a £98million release clause in his contract is triggered. The Bundesliga club are in a strong negotiating position, given the centre-back’s current deal still has four-and-a-half years left to run.

Chelsea are also thought to be interested in Gvardiol, having worked on a deal to sign the 21-year-old in the last two windows.

However, Liverpool’s recruiting department will be encouraged by the player’s past admission that he grew up supporting the Merseyside club.

Gvardiol opens up about failed Chelsea move

In an interview with the Times, Gvardiol explained why a move to Chelsea broke down last summer.

Indeed, the west Londoners attempted to sign the player at the end of a summer window in which the Croatian had not planned to leave.

Gvardiol admitted: “Phwoar, I was confused.

“I was really confused because one month before the window starts I was upstairs with the sporting director and he says, ‘Yeah Josko, we are not going to sell you, we need you, we believe in you,’ and I was like ok I am fine with this, I can stay here, I like it here, all I need is to work on myself, to play, to win something else.

“It was like this until the last two days.

“My agent called me and said that Chelsea is extremely interested and, of course, you definitely think about a serious offer from a huge club like Chelsea.

“Leipzig said they didn’t want to sell me. In the end I really struggled with that decision but we didn’t make an agreement. It is what it is.

“I am here and I am fine with this because my idea had been to stay here. One season was not enough. This is my second season, even one more season would be great but we will see.”