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Manchester City have been given the green light to sign RB Leipzig defender Joško Gvardiol this summer. The Bundesliga club is willing to listen to the offers regarding their defender.
According to the reports from Fabrizio Romano, the Treble winners have agreed personal terms with Gvardiol in this window. Manager Pep Guardiola likes the player's profile and wants to sign him. Both Manchester City and RB Leipzig will sit for further negotiations for the Croatian defender. It is understood that Leipzig will not sell Gvardiol for less than €100m in this window. The Bundesliga giants want the 21-year-old to be the most expensive defender in football history.
It is not clear how much RB Leipzig exactly want for their defender. However, Gvardiol does have a release clause in his contract, which becomes active next summer. Sky Sports suggest that the release clause is set at £98m, which will see the Croatian overtake Harry Maguire as the most expensive defender in football history.
Gvardiol is the kind of defender that will encourage Guardiola's team to play from the back. According to the statistics posted by FBref, the Croatian is ranked in the 99th percentile of attempted passes and the 96th percentile of take-ons completed. At the age of 21, with a coach like Guardiola, he will only get better.
“Gvardiol is the best center-back in the world,” his national team manager Zlatko Dalić told the media (via talkSPORT) during the 2022 World Cup. “The way he plays, with what elegance he carries the ball.”
