Manchester City will complete the record-breaking £86 million purchase of Josko Gvardiol this week, as the RB Leipzig defender has been scheduled for a physical.
- Record-breaking £86m fee agreed
- Medical booked in for Friday
- Announcement edging closer
Manchester City will complete the record-breaking £86 million purchase of Josko Gvardiol this week.
WHAT HAPPENED? Over the past year, the Croatian international has been connected with a number of major European teams, but Manchester City appear to be the team to sign him. According to Fabrizio Romano, a sum of £86m (€90m/$98m) has been agreed upon, including add-ons, and Gvardiol has been scheduled for a medical at the Etihad Stadium on Friday.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Gvardiol’s signing will make him the most expensive defender in football history, shattering Manchester United’s record £80 million (€87 million/$96 million) transfer fee paid to Leicester City for Harry Maguire in 2019. It’s a significant boost to a Manchester City defence that was already the joint-best in the Premier League last season (with only 33 goals conceded, alongside Newcastle United).
Gvardiol will join fellow Croatian international Mateo Kovacic in Manchester, following his £25 million (€29 million/$32 million) move from Chelsea earlier this summer. Gvardiol is “ready” for the move up to City, according to Kovacic, and he has backed him to display the “best version of himself.”
WHAT NEXT? Manchester City are certainly not content to stay quietly after winning their sixth Premier League title in the last six seasons. The acquisition of Kovacic to the squad is significant, and Pep Guardiola will be hoping that Gvardiol isn’t the last player to arrive this summer as he looks to replace the likes of Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan.
