As a setback for Klopp, a world-class player who dubbed Liverpool his “dream club” is suddenly “unlikely” to join.

Josko Gvardiol, a center back for RB Leipzig, is “unlikely” to sign with Liverpool this summer, claims a new source

The Reds have already started looking ahead to the summer transfer market after a turbulent year marred by inconsistent play and injury issues.

Although they have a game in hand, Jurgen Klopp’s team is currently sixth in the Premier League, some six points behind fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur.

They are currently long gone from both domestic competitions and appear destined to exit the Champions League this week. The team will travel to the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday in an effort to overcome a 5-2 first-leg deficit to defending champion Real Madrid in the last-16.

In turn, Klopp is expected to oversee a roster overhaul in the summer, with the club connected to players such as Jude Bellingham, Mason Mount, and Gvardiol.

They may, however, struggle in their pursuit of the latter.

Gvardiol heading to Liverpool?

Liverpool’s recruitment team “admires” Gvardiol, according to The Athletic, although the club is “unlikely” to sign the Croatian this summer.

According to the publication, the Reds’ priority in the summer transfer window will be to bolster their midfield rather than their center-backs.

Klopp’s first-choice center-back pairing is Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, with Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, and Nathaniel Phillips serving as understudies.

But, Matip will enter the final year of his contract this summer, and Phillips is slated to go, so the Reds may try to bring in another centre-back as backup.

But, given the competition for Gvardiol’s signing and the enormity of the fee required to sign the 21-year-old, a transfer to Anfield looks doubtful.

Despite the fact that the Croatian has stated that he “dreams” of moving to Liverpool.

In January, he told the TV program RTLDanas, “My fantasy club? That would unquestionably be Liverpool. I’ve been watching their matches with my father since I was a child.

“We went over each season in depth. That is a club that has remained in my heart”.