Josko Gvardiol is adding to Nathan Ake’s already fierce competition on the defensive line as Manchester City looks to build on their historic triple triumph this season.
After winning the Champions League last season, defending their Premier League title, and taking home the FA Cup, City wasted no time or spared no expense in acquiring Mateo Kovacic and Gvardiol from their Croatian teammates.
RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga sold Gvardiol, 21, to them for €90 million, while Kovacic, who is already well-known on these shores, moved from Chelsea to the Etihad Stadium for €30 million to fill Ilkay Gundogan’s void. Moving forward, both players will be essential to the outcome.
Given the quality of their other choices in that position, which included John Stones, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, Aymeric Laporte, and Ake himself, City’s signing of the highly regarded Gvardiol was particularly significant. Laporte, who is expected to leave before the deadline, might be the lone loss at center-back, though.
In any case, Ake is happy to have another excellent addition both on and off the pitch. “I think like everyone else as a player in this team you know the club is going to get the best players possible for every position and that’s only a positive thing to have competitiveness within the squad,” he stated in an interview for Sky Sports.
“[It can] also aid one another advance to the following stage. Together, [I hope] we can win more championships. First and foremost, it’s always a plus if the team can attract excellent players.
Following his early development at Dinamo Zagreb, Gvardiol transferred to RB Leipzig in 2021 and went on to make 87 appearances in all competitions for the German team. When Croatia competed in the Winter World Cup in Qatar, the 21-year-old also attracted attention. He has received 21 caps for his nation.