Manchester City are expected to table a first bid for RB Leipzig‘s highly-rated centre-back Josko Gvardiol this week as the prospect of a world-record deal for a defender edges closer.
The Croatia international wants to move to the Etihad and exploratory talks have already been held between City and Leipzig over a potential transfer.
But as of Monday afternoon there has been no opening offer, with the Bundesliga side looking for a fee of around £86m for Gvardiol.
That is expected to change soon and the attitude of his current club was summed up by comments from sporting director Max Eberl to a local newspaper over the weekend which indicated a willingness to negotiate.
“Josko and his advisors have submitted the wish to us for a transfer to Manchester City. We are in talks with Manchester [City],” he said.
It has been reported that personal terms have already been agreed with Gvardiol, who was also a target for Liverpool, which has heightened the prospect of a deal being concluded quickly.
But sources have indicated City are unlikely to initially meet the £86m asking price and have counselled that the club have already walked away from one transfer for Declan Rice because they believed the price was too high.
The current record fee for a defender is the £80m Manchester United paid Leicester City for Harry Maguire.
It would certainly be an intriguing move from the treble winners, whose historic season was built on defensive solidity but seem to need more midfield expertise after Ilkay Gundogan’s departure and missing out on Jude Bellingham and Arsenal-bound Rice.
“Now we enjoy defending,” Guardiola said after the Champions League win in Istanbul and little has given him as much satisfaction as seeing his City side become such a difficult team to break down.
He often fielded four central defenders in the run-in, with John Stones stepping from a right-back role to help midfield as part of a hybrid role that he played with perfection.
City also had Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji and the imperious Ruben Dias playing as they defeated Inter Milan in a game that showcased the steel to go with their free-flowing offensive instincts.
Signing the left-footed Gvardiol, who is just 21, would allow Guardiola to consolidate the gains made by that system. City have been especially impressed by how technically proficient he is, something showcased during the World Cup in Qatar when he was Croatia’s breakout star.
If Gvardiol does arrive it would surely signal the end of Aymeric Laporte‘s time at the Etihad, with Arsenal, Juventus and Inter all looking at the Spain international. City would look to recoup something close to the £57m they paid for him in 2018.
Somewhat surprisingly, City are enduring a summer of upheaval after hitting the heights in Istanbul. As well as midfield metronome Gundogan leaving, there have been a number of behind-the-scenes departures including assistant boss Enzo Maresca, who has become Leicester’s head coach.
Others could leave, with Kyle Walker interesting Bayern Munich and Newcastle United keen on Kalvin Phillips. But City have been in this position before – selling key men Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling last summer – only to bounce back stronger.
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