RB lose their next key player: Josko Gvardiol’s transfer to Manchester City is perfect – for a double record sum.
Two years after signing Jack Grealish, Manchester City have once again broken the €100 million barrier. As was officially confirmed on Saturday, Josko Gvardiol will move from RB Leipzig to the reigning champions, FA Cup and Champions League winners for a base fee of over 90 million euros, according to information from kicker. However, the sum can still grow. The 21-year-old centre-back, now also Leipzig’s most expensive departure and the most expensive defender in the world as the successor to Harry Maguire, will receive a contract until June 2028.
While ManCity continues to equip its defence for the future, Leipzig is experiencing nothing less than the biggest sell-out in the club’s 14-year history. Gvardiol is the fourth key player RB has lost this summer after Christopher Nkunku (Chelsea), Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool) and Konrad Laimer (FC Bayern), and the second defender after left-back Marcel Halstenberg (Hannover 96).
“Due to his desire to transfer and the overall financial package, which makes him the most expensive defender in history, we have decided, taking all parameters into account, to agree to the early transfer,” Leipzig’s sporting director Max Eberl said in a club statement on Saturday.
Although a new centre-back has already arrived in the form of 18-year-old talent El Chadaille Bitshiabu (Paris St. Germain), another defensive reinforcement in the form of Castello Lukeba (Olympique Lyon) is planned following Gvardiol’s departure.
Gvardiol wants to develop his game “under the best coach in the world “
“I have always dreamed of playing in England one day and it is a great honour for me to do so now with Manchester City,” Gvardiol is quoted as saying on the ManCity website. “The move to City is very special for me and my family. Also the chance to work with Pep Guardiola is fantastic. I know I’m not there yet, but I’m sure my game will develop under the best coach in football.”
“Josko has so many qualities – everything you want in a centre-back,” ManCity’s sporting director Txiki Begiristain praised the new signing. “He is quick, competitive, strong in two fights, strong in the air, impressive in possession, with strong confidence and a good character. He’s also left-footed, which gives us good options in defence. “
Gvardiol already scored against ManCity – will he replace Laporte?
Leipzig signed Gvardiol for €18 million from Dinamo Zagreb in 2020, but initially loaned him out for another year in Croatia’s capital. When Dayot Upamecano then moved to FC Bayern in 2021, Gvardiol was given his place and came through in impressive style. The physically robust and technically skilled defender soon caught the attention of the top clubs, even more so after his strong World Cup 2022, in which he finished third with Croatia and was selected in the eleven of the tournament. In the Champions League eighth-final duels with ManCity earlier this year, he scored in the first leg (1-1) but went down in the second leg.
Now the 21-time international is leaving Leipzig after 89 competitive games (five goals, three assists) four years before the end of his contract to join Pep Guardiola’s star ensemble. There he could replace Aymeric Laporte as a left-footer, who arrived in 2017 for 65 million euros but has received little playing time of late and could still leave the club.
