In a recent report, Mirror has stated that Manchester City have met with a hurdle they won’t get past easily in their pursuit of RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol. It is understood that Nathan Ake’s exit will demand a replacement and Pep Guardiola has identified Gvardiol to be a suitable option but the German outfit are planning to renew his terms in order to insure his value.
Gvardiol’s Impressive Campaign For RB Leipzig Last Season
Gvardiol experienced a solid campaign at the Red Bull Arena as he put in a series of impressive displays in the backline. He has found the back of the net two times and created two assists over 40 appearances for the German outfit in the last season across all fronts.
The Croatian international has performed consistently on the defensive end of the pitch based on his average of 1.6 tackles, 1.8 interceptions and 1.9 clearances per game in the Bundesliga. He has even been accurate when distributing possession from the back, after completing 84% of his attempted passes in the German first division (stats via whoscored).
Should Guardiola Drop The Idea Of Bringing Him To Manchester City?
Gvardiol has been a solid presence in the defensive third. He can sense the danger quickly and make some clever interceptions inside his half. Standing at 1.85m, the Spaniard can use his strong frame to dominate his opponent in the air and doesn’t mind clearing his line when the opposition is on the front foot.
The 20-year-old centre-back has caught the eye of Pep Guardiola through his impressive performances. The Croatian defender has the potential to become one of the best in Europe and could outclass many defenders in the next few years.
RB Leipzig know his worth, so they are not going to let their prized asset leave just one year after buying him and instead they have been wise to consider a contract renewal. Losing out on a player with such calibre would be a huge blow for City considering he would be the perfect replacement for Nathan Ake. Even though Guardiola wants to bring him to Etihad Stadium Gvardiol would definitely go for more play-time at this point of his career, so the Mancunian giants would have to look elsewhere.
