Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Josko Gvardiol to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

What's the talk?

That's according to a report by German media outlet RB Live (via Sport Witness), who claim that, despite The Athletic recently revealing that the RB Leipzig centre-back is the first name on Fabio Paratici's list of targets ahead of the summer transfer window, the chances of the 20-year-old linking up with Antonio Conte's side this summer are extremely thin.

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The report goes on to state that the Croatia international has himself ruled out a departure from the Red Bull Arena at the end of the current campaign, while it is also claimed that the defender is likely to have a release clause written into his contract that is much higher than the €50m (£42m) figure mentioned as the potential cost of his transfer.

Paratici must act

Considering just how impressive Gvardiol has been following his €16m (£13m) move to RB Leipzig back in the summer of 2020, in addition to Antonio Conte's well-documented desire to add a top left-sided centre-back to his Spurs side this summer, Paratici simply must do everything in his power to seal the 20-year-old's signing.

Indeed, over his 27 Bundesliga appearances this season, the £100m-rated Croatian has been imperious in the heart of the Leipzig defence, helping his side keep six clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.7 interceptions, 1.7 tackles, two clearances and winning 6.1 duels - at a success rate of 58% - per game.

The £21k-per-week centre-back has also contributed in an attacking capacity, scoring two goals, providing two assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 60.1 passes, 3.5 long balls and taking 0.9 shots per fixture.

These returns have seen the player who Ivica Olic dubbed "extraordinary" and claimed "everyone is talking about" average a rather breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.12, ranking him as Domenico Tedesco's joint third-best player in the top flight of German football.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Gvardiol would make an excellent addition to Conte's current options in his Tottenham backline, leading us to believe that Paratici simply must do all he can to land the 20-year-old prodigy this summer - even if it means breaking Tottenham's current incoming transfer record of £54m.

AND in other news: Conte can finally axe £55m "disaster" as Spurs plot £60m bid for "unbelievable" talent