Manchester City’s pursuit of Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol has been one of the most talked-about transfer sagas of the summer.
The RB Leipzig defender has been on Pep Guardiola’s radar as the club’s primary target, and the Citizens are eager to secure his signature before the transfer window closes.
Recent reports suggested that Manchester City had reached an agreement with Leipzig for Gvardiol’s transfer and even completed the first part of his medical.
However, the Bundesliga club’s boss Marco Rose and sporting director Max Eberl have downplayed these claims, and negotiations between the two clubs are ongoing. Leipzig has reportedly set a deadline of August 12 for Manchester City to agree on a fee for Gvardiol.
The Croatian international’s valuation is steep, with Leipzig demanding €100m (£85.9m). If the deal goes through, Gvardiol would become the most expensive defender in football history.
Despite Liverpool’s rumored interest in hijacking the move, Manchester City remains optimistic about finalizing the deal.
Gvardiol’s international teammate and City’s new signing, Mateo Kovacic, is a strong advocate for the transfer.
The midfielder, who joined City for £25m from Chelsea, believes that Gvardiol is ready to take the next step in his career and would thrive at the Etihad.
Kovacic expressed his thoughts, saying, “Of course I’d like [Gvardiol] to join. I know he’s very young and has great potential. He can come here and learn and be the best version of himself, like he wants to be for sure.”
Having played together for Croatia during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Kovacic has a personal connection with Gvardiol, which adds to his desire to see the defender join Manchester City. Kovacic praised Gvardiol’s maturity and stated that he doesn’t need much advice due to his experience in big games.
The left-footed defender has been in impressive form for both Leipzig and Croatia, earning him a reputation as one of the brightest prospects in world football.
Since joining Leipzig from Dinamo Zagreb in 2020, Gvardiol has made 87 appearances in all competitions and contributed to the club’s successive DFB-Pokal triumphs over the past two seasons.
Despite Gvardiol’s eagerness to make the move to Etihad Stadium, Leipzig holds a strong financial position after receiving £60.2m from Liverpool for the sale of Dominik Szoboszlai in June.
As a result, the German club is not under pressure to sell the talented defender, who still has four years remaining on his contract.