Manchester City have reached an agreement with RB Leipzig to sign centre-back Josko Gvardiol in a record-breaking deal worth £77.6 million.
While it is not the highest fee ever paid for a centre-back (that record belongs to Harry Maguire at £80 million), it does surpass the amount Liverpool paid for Virgil van Dijk (£75 million).
Gvardiol, a 21-year-old Croatian player, played a crucial role in his nation’s success in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
He joined Leipzig in the summer of 2021 for €18.8 million and won two DFB-Pokal trophies during his time at the club.
His market value is currently estimated at €75 million.
This signing continues a trend of Croatian players joining Manchester City, following Mateo Kovacic’s move from Chelsea earlier in the summer transfer window for a fee of over £25 million.
The team has already experienced the loss of key players this summer, including Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez.
Gvardiol is expected to fill the left-back/centre-back role currently held by Nathan Ake.
Red Bull Leipzig has signed El Chadaille Bitshiabu as a replacement for Gvardiol, with Bitshiabu having a similar profile to the outgoing talent.
Manchester City recently concluded their pre-season tour of South-East Asia with a 2-1 loss to Atletico Madrid in South Korea.
Their next match will be the Community Shield against Arsenal, marking the start of the new campaign.
Article updated 4 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
