Josko Gvardiol: Man City to pull out all the stops to complete £80m deal – sources
Man City are set to pull out all the stops to seal a deal for RB Leipzig star Josko Gvardiol following the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign, sources told Football Insider.
This site revealed on Friday (9 June) that City have held initial talks with the German side over a move for the 21-year-old.
It is believed those negotiations are set to accelerate after Man City’s Champions League final win over Inter Milan in Istanbul on Saturday (10 June).
A well-placed source has revealed that the treble-winning giants could pay a fee in excess of £80million for Gvardiol – an outlay which is not expected to be a problem for Pep Guardiola’s side.
His contract with RB Leipzig runs until June 2027 after he signed a bumper extension last year (2022).
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.
Liverpool have also been credited with an interest in his services – but Football Insider revealed in April that he is no longer considered a top target as the Reds deem his asking price too expensive.
Gvardiol turned out 41 times across all competitions for DFB-Pokal winners Leipzig in the 2022-23 campaign, scoring three goals.
The former Dinamo Zagreb star has racked up 139 senior appearances and has played 31 times in European competitions.
Man City are looking to strengthen their rearguard despite already having Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, John Stones, Aymeric Laporte and Manuel Akanji among their current options.
Football Insider revealed on Friday (9 June) that City are set to accelerate talks with defender Ake over a new contract – with his current agreement set to expire in June 2025.
In other news, 29-year-old told Man City career is over.