Manchester City’spotential signing ofRB Leipzigcentre-back Josko Gvardiol at the Etihad Stadium would be “frightening”, Daily Express journalistRyan Taylorhas told GIVEMESPORT.
Pep Guardiola is looking to sign the defєɴԀer, aiming to bolster his options across the Sky Blues’ backline.
ManCitytransfer news – Josko Gvardiol
According toThe Sun, Gvardiol has told Leipzig officials that he wants to leave to joinManchester City, in what could be a massive boost to Guardiola’s chances of landing the centre-back this summer.
The same publication says that the Bundesliga outfit will let the 21-year-old leave if they receive a bid of £78m plus bonuses which could take the Ԁєɑł to £85m.
Meanwhile, transfer guruFabrizio RomanoɾєⱱєɑłєԀ this week that Gvardiol has 100% agreed on personal terms and that talks will enter into an advanced stage soon.
That comes after the Italian journalist recentlytold GIVEMESPORTthat negotiations to bring the Leipzig centre-back to the Etihad Stadium are progressing “very well.”
And Taylor believes that Gvardiol would fit perfectly into Guardiola’s usage of a back three system, which the Catalan deployed towards the back єɴԀ of last season.
What has Taylor said about Gvardiol and Man City?
“I think the key point to mention is the back three and the change of shape that Guardiola has evolved to.
“I think that would be a perfect system for Gvardiol. He’s a ball-playing central defєɴԀer and has shown he can defєɴԀ virtually on his own. He was sometimes a one-man band at the World Cup with Croatia.
“But if you add his passing ability and quality on the ball, I think he would be a frightening signing forCity.”
Would Gvardiol be a good signing for Man City?
Gvardiol, described as “sensational” by journalistZach Lowylast season, would be an excellent signing for Guardiola and could be a long-term option in City’s backline.
The 21-cap Croatia international made43 appearancesfor Leipzig last term, hitting the back of the net three times, helping secure a third-place finish in the Bundesliga for the German outfit.
And the 6 foot 1 star compares favourably with his positional peers, ranking in the top 1% of centre-backs across Europe’s big five leagues as well as the Champions League and Europa League for passes attempted (87.18) per 90 minutes over the last 365 days, according toFBref.
On paper, it looks as though Gvardiol could be a stunning signing forCity, as Guardiola looks ahead to the unenviable task of following up the club’s exceptional treble-winning campaign last time out.
