Journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the UK Manchester City FC is very close to signing Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol, the German Leipzig player, during the current summer transfer market. Manchester City and RB Leipzig have reached a world-record agreement for Josko Gvardiol to swap the Bundesliga for the Premier League. As per Journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Cityzens have agreed to make the Croatia international the most expensive defender in football history by pouring a whopping €90 million into the Germans’ bank account. Gvardiol’s imminent switch to the Etihad Stadium will shatter the world-record fee of £80m Manchester United paid Leicester City to sign Harry Maguire in 2019. City are desperate to complete the 21-year-old’s arrival ahead of Sunday’s Community Shield showpiece against Mikel Arteta’s star-studded Arsenal. As one of the world’s most highly-rated young defenders, Leipzig’s rising star has been on Man City’s radar for months, but the Germans’ staggering valuation has proved a major sticking point.
The involvement of Red Bull supremo Oliver Mintzlaff has boosted City’s position in long-standing negotiations with Leipzig, giving them a decisive nudge. Gvardiol’s international colleague Mateo Kovacic joined Guardiola’s squad last month, making the ex-Dinamo Zagreb center-back the second Croatian player to move to the Etihad this summer. The 21-year-old Croatian defender played 87 matches for his German team in various competitions, scored 5 goals and provided 3 assists, and won the German Cup twice.