In a recent report, Foot Mercato mentioned that Manchester City are eyeing a move for Red Bull Leipzig ace Josko Gvardiol. It has been claimed that Man City are hoping to move in for the Croatia international but could face competition in the form of Manchester United and Chelsea in pursuit of him.
Gvardiol’s Decent Form At The Red Bull Arena This Season
Gvardiol is experiencing a solid campaign for Leipzig and has been responsible for putting in some dominant displays on the defensive end of the field. The talented youngster has participated in 19 matches for his current employers this season, scoring one goal across all fronts.
The 20-year-old has been a rock at the back for the German club as he is averaging 0.6 interceptions, 1.5 clearances, 0.5 shots and 0.6 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga. He has been a tidy distributor of the ball after making 89.1% of his attempted passes in top flight (stats via whoscored).
Gvardiol is under contract at the Red Arena until the summer of 2027. Hence, it would take a big offer for Man City to convince Leipzig to part ways with their prized asset.
Should Manchester City Boss Pep Guardiola Snap Gvardiol Up?
Gvardiol is a good tackler of the ball and can sense the danger well to make some timely interceptions for his team on the defensive third of the pitch. He doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when needed and is also proficient at playing his way out from the back. The Croat talent can use his powerful 1.85m frame to dominate the opposition attackers in the air and doesn’t hesitate to put his body on the line to block a goal-bound shot from the opposition.
Gvardiol is primarily a centre-back but can also fill in as a left-back if told to do so. Hence, he will be an excellent fit for Pep Guardiola‘s style of play at the Etihad Stadium.
We can expect Gvardiol to inject more bite and steel into Man City‘s defence and offer some serious competition for the likes of Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte at the Mancunian club.
At 20, Gvardiol has his best years ahead of him and could go on to become a world-class defender someday under the expert stewardship of Pep Guardiola. Thus, the Man City boss should focus on snapping the Croat defensive ace up this January or at the end of this campaign.
