Manchester City have opened talks over a deal to buy Josko Gvardiol after the Croatia defender informed RB Leipzig that he wants to join the treble winners.
Gvardiol has been identified as Pep Guardiola’s primary transfer target this summer and it is understood personal terms have already been agreed with the 21-year-old’s representatives. Leipzig are believed to want more than €100m (£86m) – a world-record fee for a defender – for the player whose contract expires in 2027, although the German club’s sporting director Max Eberl confirmed on Monday that Gvardiol had notified them of his desire to move to the Etihad Stadium this summer.
“Josko and his advisors have submitted the wish to us for a transfer to Manchester City,” Eberl told Leipziger Volkszeitung newspaper. “We are in talks with Manchester. There is nothing more to say about it at this moment.”
Guardiola is a huge admirer of Gvardiol, who came through the Dinamo Zagreb youth system and joined Leipzig in 2020. The German side would prefer to keep the 21-year-old and are under no pressure to sell one of their star assets as Gvardiol signed a new contract last summer after being linked with a move to Chelsea.
Leipzig have already sold several leading players this summer, with Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai completing his move to Liverpool on Sunday for £60m. Defender Konrad Laimer has joined Bayern Munich on a free transfer and France international Christopher Nkunku moved to Chelsea in the Premier League.
“I can understand the disappointment and concern of the fans,” Eberl said. “No club and no coach in this world wants to lose players of this calibre. But we have been prepared for this and I can promise that we will have once more a good and exciting team.”
If Gvardiol does end up signing for City, he will join a long list of central defenders already at the club, including Manuel Akanji, Rúben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, Nathan Aké and John Stones.
