Tottenham’s pursuit of RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol is in doubt, as they are unlikely to pay the large fee required to sign him.
The 21-year-old Croatian is expected to leave Leipzig in the summer to join a top European club, with Real Madrid being his preferred destination.
Gvardiol’s new contract has a release clause of around £96 million, which would make him the most expensive defender in the world, surpassing Manchester United’s Harry Maguire.
Despite the high cost, Tottenham emerged as a surprise contender to sign Gvardiol, but Dean Jones had claimed that any deal would depend on the future of their manager.
And transfer insider Dean Jones had said that the uncertainty around Conte’s future at the club could “put the Croatian off.” He said:
“Essentially, we need to see how this season plays out first,”
“See whether Antonio Conte stays in charge. See whether Fabio Paratici is still pulling the strings and can make something like this happen.
“It’s always been a case that Tottenham have had an interest in him.”
But now according to CalcioMercato.it, while Spurs remain in the conversation, a move for the defender is unlikely because Tottenham ‘doesn’t usually spend crazy money on the transfer market’.
Daniel Levy is known for being frugal with transfer funds, and it is unlikely that he will be willing to spend such a large amount on a single player. He is more likely to opt for a cheaper option, rather than making a massive investment in Gvardiol.
The centre-back who has been dubbed as “the best central defender in the world” by Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic was a stand out performer at the World Cup in Qatar putting in a string of world class performances for Croatia who finished 3rd.
