Liverpool’s plans to land Virgil van Dijk risk being scuppered by Manchester City.
Van Dijk has emerged as Jurgen Klopp’s priority summer target with the Reds planning to break their own transfer record to land the Southampton defender.
The South Coast club are expected to demand in the region of £50 million for the Holland international, with Everton and Chelsea also expressing an interest.
But Pep Guardiola has reportedly stolen a march on his Premier League rivals.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Van Dijk is prepared to resist all other offers this summer in order to work with the one-time Barcelona manager.
Guardiola is preparing to overhaul City’s defence, with Athletic Bilbao’s Aymeric Laporte and Juventus centre-back Leonard Bonucci also understood to be targets.
Klopp meanwhile remains undeterred in his attempts to strengthen Liverpool’s defence despite tying Dejan Lovren to a new four-year deal earlier this week.
Ex-Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers claimed the club’s scouting department vetoed Van Dijk’s proposed move from Celtic during his time at Anfield.
The 25-year-old has been sidelined since damaging a ligament in his foot in Southampton’s win over Leicester City in January.