£45m World Cup star now prefers Premier League move, after claims Antonio Conte really wants him at Tottenham - journalist

By Milo Clay

Footmercato journalist Santi Aouna says World Cup star Josko Gvardiol now prefers a move to the Premier League, after claims Antonio Conte wants him at Tottenham Hotspur. 

Tottenham bolstered their defensive options over the summer as they brought in Clement Lenglet on a season-long loan from Barcelona. 

The Frenchman has performed well under Conte so far but with Football.London reporting that there is no option to buy him, Spurs could be back in the market for a left-sided centre-back next summer.  

Gvardiol is one of many defenders to be linked with a move to north London recently, with Tuttomercatoweb reporting that Ivan Perisic was working to convince his countryman to join Spurs while at the World Cup.

The 20-year-old is enjoying a brilliant World Cup campaign with Croatia and helped them to a surprising penalty shootout win over Brazil last Friday. 

Now, Aouna has shared an update on Gvardiol’s future with Red Bull Leipzig ahead of the January window. 

Gvardiol prefers Premier League move 

Aouna claims that Gvardiol has a ‘preference’ to move to the Premier League when he leaves Leipzig. 

The youngster is attracting interest from a host of top clubs, including the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United. 

All three English teams have already submitted a proposal for Gvardiol, while Bayern Munich are also interested. 

Spurs will certainly face a tough battle if they step-up their attempts to sign Gvardiol. 

Conte’s men were linked with a move for the centre-back last summer but a move never materialised. 

Now, Gvardiol has plenty of teams queuing up for his signature off the back of some eye-catching displays in Qatar. 

90 Min have suggested that Leipzig value Gvardiol at around £45 million, but other reports have placed a much higher price-tag on him. 

The Croatian defender would undoubtedly improve the quality of Spurs’ backline but it seems unlikely that the north Londoners have the financial muscle to compete with the likes of Chelsea and City.