Manchester City have completed the signing of defender Josko Gvardiol for £78million on a five-year deal from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.
The 21-year-old becomes the Premier League champion’s second addition of the summer, joining his countryman Mateo Kovacic at the Etihad, and will wear the number 24 shirt.
Gvardiol, who was part of the Croatian team that secured a bronze medal at the 2022 World Cup last December, won two German Cups during his time in Germany and will bolster the Cityzens’ already stacked roster of central defenders.
‘I have always dreamed of one day playing in England and to be doing so now with Manchester City – after the season they have just had – is a real honour for me.’ Gvardiol said.
‘Anyone who saw Manchester City play last season knows they are the best team in the world. To win the Treble says everything you need to know about the quality this team has.
‘To be joining City is something very special for me and my family. To have the chance to work with Pep Guardiola, too, will be amazing for me. I know I am not yet the finished article and I am sure my game will progress under the best coach in football.
‘To be linking up with Mateo Kovacic will also be special. He’s a top footballer and I hope we can both help City achieve another successful season in 2023-24 and then beyond.’
City have the daunting task of following up their near perfect campaign last season that saw them achieve an historic Treble that included a much coveted maiden Champions League crown.
Boss Pep Guardiola anticipated the difficulty of replicating last year’s heroics in his press conference ahead of the Community Shield on Friday, while confirming that the Croatian defender was undergoing his medical.
Now confirmed as a Cityzen, Director of Football Txiki Begiristain was quick to hail a player the club believes has ‘everything you want in a centre-half’.
‘We are very happy to bring Josko to Manchester City,’ he said. ‘He is a player we have watched closely, and we feel he has a superb set of attributes. Top clubs all over Europe have been monitoring him, so to bring him here is great news for us.
‘Josko has so many qualities – everything you want in a centre-half. He is fast, competitive, combative, strong in the air, impressive in possession of the ball, with strong self-belief and a good character. He is left-footed, too, which offers us good options at the back.
‘He is still young but his progress in the game has been rapid. We feel confident his upward trajectory will continue here at City working with Pep and his staff’.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
