Manchester City’s desire to remain the dominant force in England football while protecting its new lofty perch as kings of Europe is set to roll on this summer under Pep Guardiola as the recent treble winners look to resume their push for RB Leipzig starlet Joško Gvardiol.
Reports from football insider Fabrizio Romano detail a growing reality that the English hegemon is set to return to the negotiating table for the 21-year-old Croatian international, but appears to have a considerable amount of work to do before any deal can be struck between the two clubs.
Right after Kovacić deal, Man City will push again for top target Josko Gvardiol — as personal terms are on the verge of being agreed with Croatian CB. 🚨🔵🇭🇷 #MCFC
Negotiations needed with RB Leipzig as they want way more than reported €80m fee, still hoping to keep Josko. pic.twitter.com/xc5MzRtBEG
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 20, 2023
City is expected to conclude a deal for Gvardiol’s international colleague Mateo Kovačić in the near future after the Chelsea star has earmarked himself for a move to the Premier League champions and a chance to work under Guardiola, and then return to sit down talks with RBL over their star defender.
The Bundesliga upstarts are hoping to receive a fee potentially in excess of €100m under the guise of still hoping they will see the Zagreb-born defender in club colors during the 2023-24 campaign, and would likely struggle to immediately fill the void in the wake of his departure despite the massive fee they could receive.
Regardless of the current options in the heart of the defense that Guardiola can boast, Gvardiol moves the needle even further for City while setting themselves up for the long-term given his age.
It remains to be seen just where the Croatian will fit into the team as things stand given he would become the sixth center-back on the club’s books, but if anyone can find a suitable role for him, it’s Guardiola.
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