RB Leipzig's director of sport, Max Eberl, has made it clear that the club is under no pressure to sell Joško Gvardiol despite interest from Manchester City after the recent sale of Dominik Szoboszlai to Liverpool.
Gvardiol, a highly-rated 21-year-old defender, has been the subject of intense speculation throughout the summer transfer window. Media outlets including the Guardian had suggested that Gvardiol was set to undergo a medical with Manchester City after an agreement was reached between the two clubs.
However, Eberl dismissed these rumors and reiterated Leipzig's stance on the matter. The Bundesliga side is reportedly looking for a fee of at least $111m (£87m/€100m) for the Croatian defender, who is currently contracted at the Red Bull Arena until 2027.
READ MORE: Sadio Mané 'approves Cristiano Ronaldo link-up' as Jürgen Klopp proven wrong on Liverpool plan
READ MORE: Liverpool Women building for future with busy summer transfer window amid World Cup fever
Leipzig has already lost two key players this summer, with Christopher Nkunku joining Chelsea and Szoboszlai moving to Jürgen Klopp's side. The sale of Szoboszlai, in particular, has provided financial security for the club, according to Eberl.
He said: "The fact is that Man City would like to have him. Currently, we are still very far apart. The transfer of Szoboszlai has secured us financially. We don't need the money. We would prefer Joško to stay.
"We are not a club that blocks anything. We are transparent. But we have our ideas and want them to be implemented."
Sign up for our EXCLUSIVE Liverpool.com newsletter!
![Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp.](https://i2-prod.liverpoolecho.co.uk/incoming/article28219150.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/0_GettyImages-1748470251.jpg)
If you enjoyed this piece, you'll love our Liverpool.com newsletter — once a week, we send exclusive, bonus content only to people signed up to our mailing list!
Our newsletter subscribers get an extra slice of Liverpool.com from one of the best Liverpool FC writers around — straight to your inbox, and completely for free.
Wherever you are in the world — in the US, the UK or further afield — you don't want to miss out.
Sign up to the Liverpool.com newsletter here — it only takes a few seconds!
The defender is highly regarded for his performances in the Bundesliga and has attracted attention from several top clubs across Europe. His strong defensive abilities, composure on the ball, and ability to play out from the back make him an attractive prospect for any team.
However, Leipzig's firm stance on Gvardiol's future may complicate Manchester City's pursuit. The German club's financial stability, thanks to the sale of Szoboszlai for $77m (£60m/€69m), will allow it to hold out for a substantial fee and could put paid to the prospects of a deal altogether.
You may notice the below message on a small number of Liverpool.com articles. We like to innovate and this is part of a trial to look at whether AI can help speed up the publishing process. We will always declare where this happens.
This article was crafted with the help of AI tools, based on a piece first written by Stephen Killen for the Liverpool ECHO. You can read the original piece by clicking here. A Liverpool.com news editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to matt.addison@reachplc.com.