Manchester City have intensified their contacts to sign RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol this summer.
What’s the latest news on Man City and Gvardiol?
The Premier League champions appear to already be making a head start on their summer transfer plans, although Pep Guardiola’s full focus is on a potential treble in the final months of the season.
One player who could be on the way out of the Etihad Stadium is Aymeric Laporte, with the club reportedly willing to sell the centre-back after falling out of favour under Guardiola. City have seemingly identified their top defensive target in Gvardiol, and a transfer update has come to light.
Sport Witness relayed a transfer update from a SportBILD report regarding City and Gvardiol in the last 48 hours.
It claimed that Gvardiol ‘wants to take the big step’ in his career, with both City and Real Madrid interested in his services. City, and by extension director of football Txiki Begiristain, have intensified their talks to sign the player after the World Cup, with a €100m (£88m) figure mooted.
Speculation elsewhere has suggested that Guardiola is a big fan of the centre-back and is urging club officials to seal a move this summer.
Do City actually need Gvardiol?
Should Laporte depart, City would still have four senior centre-backs to choose from in John Stones, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake.
However, as seen in the week against Bayern Munich, Guardiola isn’t afraid to play his centre-backs in different positions, with Stone occupying a holding midfield role alongside Rodri. A back three was used in Dias, Akanji and Ake, so adding Gvardiol, called 'sensational' by members of the media, could be a wise move.
Like Laporte, Gvardiol is also left-footed and appears to be a real star, with pundit Owen Hargreaves believing that he will be "the best centre-back in the world one day.
Still just 21 years of age and already valued at a career-high €75m (£66m) by Transfermarkt, Gvardiol would also add versatility to the side as he is capable of playing as a centre-back and left-back.
As per WhoScored, the Leipzig man has also outperformed a number of City defenders this season such as Ake, Laporte, Akanji and Kyle Walker, averaging more interceptions per game than any City player.
It could be an expensive transfer for City to complete, but with talks intensifying and Guardiola an admirer, it looks as if this will be one to watch heading into the summer.
