Manchester City are now getting closer to completing a deal for RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, and after new talks, the move could even be completed by the end of this week, according to reports from Italy.
What’s the latest on Josko Gvardiol to Man City?
Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has recently offered on Man City’s pursuit of Gvardiol, which suggests the defender could end up staying at RB Leipzig, as his contract situation means the Bundesliga club are under no real pressure to sell him.
Sheth said: “With Gvardiol, that’s a different one. There were lots of reports last week about a deal bring agreed, a medical having been done, but the information we were getting was that was quite wide of the mark.
“There’s no agreement, there’s been no medical in fact, and in fact RB Leipzig could end up keeping Gvardiol, because they’re under no pressure to sell him. But also, they want €100 million guaranteed for Gvardiol.
“It will be interesting to see if City would stretch that far, but it’s obvious that they’ve got an interest in the player.”
The Croatian is currently contracted until June 2027, meaning Leipzig are in the position of power when it comes to negotiating a transfer fee, however a more recent update now suggests that Man City could be close to completing a deal.
According to reports from Italy (via Sport Witness), the Sky Blues are “getting closer” to securing a deal for the 21-year-old, with a move in the works for a fee of €100m (£86m), plus a percentage of the transfer fee from any possible future sale.
The deal could even be wrapped up by the end of this week, providing there are no new twists, with the new talks accelerating the centre-back’s move to the Etihad Stadium.
Leipzig sporting director Max Eberl has already admitted the 6 foot 1 defender is keen on a move to Man City, and it now appears as though Pep Guardiola is close to getting his man.
How good is Josko Gvardiol?
The Croatia international was lauded as “incredible” by members of the media for his performances at the 2022 World Cup, and he has also impressed at club level, with his passing ability making him the perfect fit for a Guardiola side.
Over the past year, the Zagreb-born defender has attempted an average of 87.18 passes per 90,which places him in the 99th percentile compared to his positional peers, while he also ranks in the 84th percentile for his pass-completion rate.
There are still a few things that the RB Leipzig star will need to work on, given that he places in a low percentile for tackles and aerials won, but he is still very young, and he has plenty of time to develop his game further.
All in all, it is great news that Man City are now closing in on a move for Gvardiol, and they will be hoping it can be wrapped up by the end of the week.
