Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Connor O'Neill

Jurgen Klopp told four reasons why he doesn't need to sign Josko Gvardiol for Liverpool

Liverpool icon John Barnes has explained why his former club don’t need to make a move for defender Josko Gvardiol in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The 21-year-old, who starred for Croatia at the World Cup in Qatar by helping them to finish third, came close to a move to Chelsea last summer when his RB Leipzig side were in advanced talks with the Stamford Bridge club.

The centre-back signed a new deal with Leipzig in December, which runs until 2027. However, according to multiple reports, those fresh terms are believed to include a release clause that comes into effect from 2024.

READ MORE: Virgil van Dijk calls on Liverpool to 'do their job' and bring in quality signings

READ MORE: Jamie Carragher is right about Trent Alexander-Arnold and Manchester United already know it

Gvardiol has impressed in both the Bundesliga and Champions League so far this season, and revealed in a recent interview with The Times that he wanted to move to England. However, Barnes believes that Liverpool don’t need Gvardiol as Jurgen Klopp already has enough centre-backs in his squad - naming the four main men as potential reasons to avoid any further recruitment in that department.

“Josko Gvardiol was very good at the World Cup but I don’t necessarily think that we need him right now,” he told BonusCodeBets.

"We have Joe Gomez, Ibrahima 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.”

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.