Real Madrid and Barcelona are battling for the signature of Manchester City's defender

Spanish media reports indicate that Real Madrid has placed Manchester City's Croatian defender, Josko Gvardiol, among its top transfer targets . According to journalist Alberto Pereiro, Florentino Perez, who is seeking re-election as club president in Sunday's elections, along with prospective manager Jose Mourinho, have identified Gvardiol as a new priority to bolster the Merengues' defense . After reaching preliminary agreements with other defenders such as Ibrahima Konaté and Denzel Dumfries, Real Madrid is now focusing on finalizing the Croatian defender's transfer . However, Real Madrid is not alone in the race to sign Gvardiol, as their arch-rivals Barcelona have also added him to their list of targets.