Josko Gvardiol Set for £86m Manchester City Move
Manchester City are in advanced talks with RB Leipzig over an enormous £86m move for Josko Gvardiol, according to reports. The 21-year-old Croatian defender is set to become the most expensive defender in the world if the transfer goes through.
Max Eberl Confirms Gvardiol’s Desire to Move
RB Leipzig’s sporting director Max Eberl has confirmed that Gvardiol and his agents have expressed their desire to move to Manchester City. Eberl told German outlet LVZ: ‘I can confirm that Josko Gvardiol and agents told us about their desire to move to Manchester City. We are in talks with Manchester. That’s all there is to say at the moment.’
Gvardiol’s Impressive Career So Far
At just 21 years old, Gvardiol has already amassed 52 first team appearances for Dynamo Zagreb and 88 for RB Leipzig, while he has picked up 21 caps for Croatia and starred in their run to finishing third at the World Cup last winter. He has been linked with a number of clubs since he rose to prominence over the last couple of years, with both Chelsea and Tottenham showing interest in bringing him to the Premier League.
Pep Guardiola Impressed by Gvardiol
Pep Guardiola saw Gvardiol up close when Manchester City took on RB Leipzig in the last 16 of the Champions League this season. The Premier League side may have won 7-0 at the Etihad, but the Spaniard was clearly impressed, with the Croatian admitting that they enjoyed a short chat after the match. Gvardiol said: ‘I extended my hand to Guardiola in the Champions League. I congratulated him on going through. Guardiola, a great coach, threw a few words at me. But I will keep them to myself.’
Conclusion
It looks like Manchester City are set to break the world record transfer fee for a defender with the signing of Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig. The 21-year-old Croatian has impressed over the last couple of years and Pep Guardiola was clearly taken with him when they faced off in the Champions League last season. With the transfer fee set to be £86m, it looks like Gvardiol is set for a big move this summer.