Josko Gvardiol and Manchester City are said to have agreed on a long-term contract for the Croatian defender. In England, only negotiations with his club RB Leipzig have yet to be completed.
Manchester City and Gvardiol agree, asking price still a stumbling block
Kicker reports this on Sunday. The young defender is said to have told Leipzig that it is his wish to make a transfer. But his current contract does not contain a fixed amount for which Gvardiol can be picked up this summer. So there will be negotiation. The German sports magazine reports that the club management of Die Roten Bullen is quite willing to talk. But serious money must be put on the table. It would concern an amount of around one hundred million euros.
The talks will take a while, because this would also be something unique for Pep Guardiola’s wealthy team. After all, a hundred million has never been spent on a defender. The most expensive rearguard player to date is also under contract in Manchester. In 2019, Manchester United put more than 85 million euros on the table to take over Harry Maguire.
Man City hopes to keep Silva out of Arab hands with an offer
Manchester City are keen to prevent Bernardo Silva, a key player in Pep Guardiola’s Treble-winning side, from going to Saudi Arabia at all costs. To this end, the English have made him a proposal to extend his contract, which runs until 2025, on better terms.
The battle for Silva has erupted in full force. The interest from Saudi Arabia in the Portuguese is serious. And Manchester City owners are doing everything in their power to keep him on board, The Times reports.
The migration of people in their thirties to the extremely rich Arab country is in full swing this summer: Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kanté, among others, followed Cristiano Ronaldo. It seems that CR7 inspires his compatriots to also make the crossing to the desert area: Rúben Neves was recently presented in Saudi Arabia and now Silva (28) would also be a serious candidate.
The temptation is most likely in the money: Silva is a key force in what was the best side in the world last season, but Manchester City are bound by financial regulations, although there are question marks over their compliance. The maximum salary that Silva can earn in England anyway pales in comparison to what a Saudi club can cough up. There is talk of a salary of 85 million euros a year.
