Man City confirm the signing of Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig

Man City confirm the signing of Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig for £78m.

Manchester City have completed the acquisition of defender Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig on a five-year contract for £78 million.

Man City confirm the signing of Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig.

The 21-year-old joins his countryman Mateo Kovacic at the Etihad, becoming the Premier League champion’s second signing of the summer. He will wear the number 24 shirt.

Gvardiol, who was a member of Croatia’s World Cup-winning team in 2022, won two German Cups during his stay in Germany and will add to the Cityzens’ already stacked group of centre defenders.

‘I’ve always wanted to play in England, and to be doing so now with Manchester City – especially after the season they’ve had – is a huge pleasure for me.’ Gvardiol explained.

‘Anyone who saw Manchester City play last season understands that they are the best team in the world. To win the Triple Crown tells everything about the calibre of this team.

Manchester City have completed the acquisition of defender Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig on a five-year contract for £78 million.

‘Being a part of City is something really significant for me and my family. Working with Pep Guardiola would be a dream come true for me. I know I’m not quite there yet, but I’m confident my game will improve under the best coach in football.

‘Working with Mateo Kovacic will be an added bonus. He’s a fantastic footballer, and I’m hoping that we can both assist City have another good season in 2023-24 and beyond.’

City have the daunting task of following up their near perfect campaign last season that saw the achieve an historic Treble that included a much coveted maiden Champions League crown.

Boss Pep Guardiola anticipated the difficulty of replicating last year’s heroics in his press conference ahead of the Community Shield on Friday, while confirming that the Croatian defender was undergoing his medical.

Gvardiol anchored the defence of an RB Leipzig side who won back-to-back German Cups

Txiki Begiristain, Director of Football, was quick to praise a player the club believes possesses ‘everything you want in a centre-half’.

‘We are delighted to welcome Josko to Manchester City,’ he stated. ‘He is a guy we have been watching closely, and we believe he has a fantastic set of attributes. Top clubs from all around Europe have been watching him, so bringing him here is fantastic news for us.

‘Josko has everything you want in a centre-half. He is quick, competitive, aggressive, strong in the air, impressive in possession of the ball, and has a positive attitude. He’s also left-footed, which gives us some alternatives in the back.

‘He is still young but his progress in the game has been rapid. We feel confident his upward trajectory will continue here at City working with Pep and his staff’