Treble winners Manchester City are close to acquiring the services of the 21-year-old RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol.
According to The Times, Manchester City are keen on having Josko Gvardiol in their ranks. And it is only a matter of days before a record-breaking £86 million deal is struck between City and RB Leipzig for the transfer of the 21-year-old centre-back.
Gvardiol has been the talk of the town of late. The Croatian international has been in sensational form over the last 18 months, and he has been on the radar of multiple top clubs from across Europe. The 21-year-old centre-back came through the ranks at Dinamo Zagreb before joining the Bundesliga club back in 2020. He has gone from strength to strength since joining Leipzig.
Gvardiol was on fire during the FIFA World Cup 2022. He was sensational throughout the tournament, hardly put a foot wrong, and was one of the main reasons Croatia ended up reaching the semi-finals. His club form is not bad either, and the 21-year-old has been consistent for both club and country. And, the amount of interest in his services is quite understandable.
Manchester City have been interested in the Croatian international for a while now. Pep Guardiola’s team recently won the treble and despite their heroics, and the Spanish manager is keen on bolstering his squad. Aymeric Laporte’s future at the club is uncertain, with his game time taking a hit of late. So he is expected to be on his way out before the end of the window.
RB Leipzig director Eberl confirms: “I can confirm that Joško Gvardiol and agents told us about their desire to move to Manchester City”. 🔵⤵️ #MCFC https://t.co/6rtv21JjHj
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 2, 2023
With Laporte likely to leave, Manchester City need another central defender, as Guardiola has fielded four centre-backs at one go last season and he could look for something similar next season. People at the club believe Gvardiol could be a great fit, and even the player is keen on joining them.
Leipzig sporting director Max Eberl has confirmed that they have been in talks with Manchester City, and that is it the desire of the player to join the Manchester-based club. And a deal in the region of £86 million is close.
Eberl said: “Gvardiol and his agents gave us their desire to move to Manchester City. We are in talks with City. Yes, for €100 million plus bonuses, Gvardiol will end up in Pep’s strong hands. The value of the deal would make Gvardiol the most expensive defender in history. But it might take a few more days.”
The player has already agreed on personal terms with Manchester City as per reports. So it will be a world record fee for a defender that will see Gvardiol join City. The German club have demanded £86 million plus bonuses for the 21-year-old. While negotiations are still on, City are expected to strike a deal with Leipzig and make him the most expensive defender of all time.
