John Stones cited as Man City open talks on £100m deal – pundit

Joskvo Gvardiol must stamp his authority on the team if he is to join Man City in this summer transfer window.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, former West Ham striker Frank McAvennie has said that Pep Guardiola’s side strength in depth creates competition for every player.

Football Insider revealed (9 June) that City have held initial talks with the German side over a move for the 21-year-old.

According to Sky Sports (19 May), Gvardiol has a release clause of almost £100million as part of that deal – but it doesn’t become active until the summer of 2024.

The 21-year-old turned out 41 times across all competitions for Leipzig in the 2022-23 campaign, scoring three goals and despite his tender age, Gvardiol has racked up 139 senior appearances and has played 31 times in European competitions.

With a potential transfer to Man City, McAvennie believes that he is not guaranteed to start as there is competition all over the pitch.

“There is a lot of competition in Man City’s defence,” He told Football Insider.

“He must stamp his mark on the team early doors, as you can remember John Stones was left out of the team for a significant period of time until he popped back up in the midfield position.

“But you do have to trust Pep Guardiola, as he would know exactly what Gvardiol can do and what he can bring to the team.

“There’s competition in every position for City.”

In other news, second Man City star wants Spain move after Gundogan deal agreed