Manchester City have agreed a £77.6m deal with RB Leipzig to sign long-term target Josko Gvardiol, according to Sky Sports.
Are Man City signing Josko Gvardiol?
Pep Guardiola and those at the Etihad have been heavily linked with a move for the Croatia international after bringing in his fellow countryman Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea earlier this summer.
The Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League winners appeared to be closing in on the defender, with a fee and even a part of a medical completed, however, Leipzig sporting director Max Eberl quickly squashed those rumours.
That led to more speculation regarding Gvardiol’s future, with City’s Premier League rivals Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United all allegedly submitting offers of their own.
City were always still in pole position to sign the 21-year-old, though, and it looks as if they have made a breakthrough over a transfer.
Chief Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol shared an update on Wednesday afternoon regarding City and Gvardiol, claiming a €90m fee has been agreed by the two clubs. He said it was significant as it is below Leipzig’s valuation and also won’t be a record deal for a defender.
“They (Man City) have managed to agree a transfer fee of €90m. That is significant because all along, what Leipzig have been saying is that we want €100m guaranteed – that is the minimum we want for him.
“But, City have managed to get him for €90m (£77.6m), and we should make it clear that this is not a record for a defender, because it is still below the £80m Man United paid for Harry Maguire.
“He’s a 21-year-old centre-back who everyone will remember seeing him play at the World Cup wearing that mask. He had a very famous moment when Lionel Messi gave him the run around which may have affected his valuation but apart from that he’s one of the best young defenders in world football at the moment and Pep Guardiola decided he wanted him.”
Who is Josko Gvardiol?
Gvardiol came through the academy system at Dinamo Zagreb and made 52 senior appearances for the club before joining Leipzig in 2021.
The left-footed defender has gone on to become a regular in the Bundesliga, making 87 appearances in all competitions for Leipzig, scoring five goals, one of which came against City last season.
He should offer some versatility to Guardiola’s side as well, as Gvardiol is capable of turning out as a left-back as well as in a central role if needed.
In terms of his qualities, The Analyst has suggested he is extremely strong on the ball and an elite ball carrier who plays a number of progressive passes. That should work in Guardiola’s system, and off the ball, Gvardiol is “quick and aggressive, which makes him a very good one-vs-one defender”.
The Analyst said that the addition of the Leipzig man in Manchester “feels a bit like cheating” due to his abilities on and off the ball, so by the looks of things, City could be about to land a player perfectly made for Guardiola.