Liverpool plot move for €90m defender, Klopp views him as an ideal partner for Van Dijk

Liverpool are interested in signing Croatia's World Cup star Josko Gvardiol, according to fresh reports.

The Reds have had a number of defensive problems this season, shipping 28 goals in the Premier League so far.

Many of their issues have been attributed to a plague of injuries which have hindered the squad. Central defenders Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are among those currently recovering from knocks.

However, Jurgen Klopp managed just fine without them on Monday, beating Everton 2-0 in the Merseyside derby.

Goals from Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo ensured victory at Anfield over their local rivals, who are 18th in the league table.

Meanwhile, the win moves Liverpool ahead of Chelsea and into ninth place ahead of their huge trip away to fourth-place Newcastle on Saturday.

In more good news for supporters, reports from Italy have suggested that Klopp has identified Gvardiol as his next defensive target, as the German looks to rebuild in the summer.

Klopp identifies Gvardiol as 'ideal partner' for Van Dijk

The World Cup star, who helped his country to a third placed finish at the tournament, caught the attention of a number of Premier League clubs in Qatar, including Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea.

However, RudyGaletti claim that Gvardiol, who can also play at full-back, could be leaving Leipzig for Anfield in the summer.

The report states that 'Jurgen Klopp has identified Gvardiol as the ideal central defender to work alongside Virgil Van Dijk'.

He joined the Bundesliga side from Dinamo Zagreb in the summer of 2021 for a fee in the region of £16million, and remains under contract until 2027.

Whilst Leipzig have set his price tag to around £79million.

In another boost for Reds fans, Gvardiol recently declared that Liverpool was his 'dream club'.

He stated (quotes via RTLDanas): "That would definitely be Liverpool.

"Since I was little, I watched a lot of Liverpool matches with my dad, and we covered every season in detail. It is a club that has remained in my heart."