Manchester City are all set to break the bank and pay €100 million to sign Real Madrid transfer target Josko Gvardiol.
According to Fichajes, Manchester City are willing to go the distance to acquire the services of Josko Gvardiol. The 21-year-old centre-back has been sensational of late, and quite a few big clubs from across Europe, including Real Madrid, are interested in his services.
Gvardiol came into the limelight while playing for Croatia at the FIFA World Cup 2022. The RB Leipzig defender played a big part in Croatia’s impressive run in the World Cup as they once again made it to the semi-finals.
The 21-year-old might have come into the limelight because of his heroics at the World Cup but in reality, he has been putting in some solid performances throughout the last few seasons. Gvardioll has featured in 39 matches for the German club and also has three goals to his name in the ongoing season.
The Croatian international has hardly put a foot wrong in the ongoing season. While his contract at the club runs until the summer of 2027, the 21-year-old is likely to part ways with Leipzig in the summer given the amount of interest in his services.
While Leipzig are ready to let him leave, they will only let that happen for a fee of around €100 million. The German club are in no mood to lower their asking price, and they do have the upper hand in negotiations given the number of years left on Gvardiol’s contract.
Meanwhile, Manchester City are keen on having the 21-year-old in their ranks. And, they seem ready to meet the €100 million price tag. The Premier League champions are looking for defensive reinforcement, and he believes that adding the Croatian international can help them in the present as well as the future.
He can eventually become a leader of their defence. And with Aymeric Laporte likely to leave, Gvardiol could be an ideal replacement. However, they will face tough competition from Real Madrid. Los Blancos want to further strengthen their defence ahead of next season.
Injuries to a few of their defenders during the ongoing season caused a lot of panic. And, Carlo Ancelotti wants to avoid any such situation in the future. He wants to have an ideal cover for his key players. And adding Gvardiol will give them cover for the central defender as well as the full-back position given the 21-year-old’s versatility.
