Liverpool are “unwilling” to pay close to nine figures for RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, according to the Daily Mail.

The English tabloid claims that the Reds are interested in signing the Croatian international, along with Manchester City and Chelsea, but the player’s asking price is likely to prove problematic.

Gvardiol does have a €110m (£98m) release clause in his contract, but that can only be triggered in 2024, which indicates that Leipzig are likely to demand more than that amount this summer.

Liverpool’s resistance to shelling out over £100m is not down to a lack of money, though. The Mail claim that the Merseyside club’s priority is to strengthen the midfield so resources will be devoted to those signings, rather than Gvardiol.

It means that Jurgen Klopp’s side are not favourites to recruit the 21-year-old. City are said to be the most serious about making a move for the player this summer, as they seek a potential replacement for Aymeric Laporte, but we shall see how this story develops.