Jack Grealish cited as Man City agree box-office signing – ‘he’s old by City standards’
Man City have followed their recruitment strategy of investing in young prospects by signing Josko Gvardiol for £78million this summer.
That is the view of finance expert Kieran Maguire, who exclusively told Football Insider that City’s 21-year-old recruit could increase in value over the next three years.
City announced on Saturday that Red Bull Leipzig defender Gvardiol had joined the club in a deal worth £78million.
The Croatian international signed a five-year deal at the Etihad Stadium after becoming City’s most expensive defender in club history.
He becomes the second player to join Pep Guardiola’s squad this summer after Mateo Kovacic completed a £25million move to the treble-winning side earlier this summer.
Maguire believes City’s recruitment strategy of signing young yet proven players has been a successful strategy and Gvardiol could be the latest example.
“He is young, up-and-coming, but also to a certain extent he’s proven,” Maguire told Football Insider’s Sean Fisher.
“Messi did turn him inside and out at the World Cup, but I think he could possibly do that to a few other players as well.
“City appear to have a strategy in the main of recruiting players when they are very young.
“That’s also been the case with Haaland and if anything Jack Grealish was an outlier when he joined the club aged 25.
“That’s quite old by City’s recruitment standards.
“Gvardiol fits the bill as a player who will likely increase in value after his move to City, and he will be very marketable in two or three years’ time.
“I’m sure if he’s good, the club will want to keep him, but he will also attract interest from other clubs.
“He will still be young in three years’ time when he could have already delivered an increase in the number of trophies which are currently causing Manchester City’s trophy cabinet to be creaking.“
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