Manchester City sign Croatian international Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig

Manchester City has confirmed the signing of 21-year-old Croatian defender, Josko Gvardiol, from RB Leipzig on a five-year contract.

The young talent marks the club's second acquisition of the summer transfer window, following Croatian international Mateo Kovacic.

A product of Dinamo Zagreb, the same club where Kovacic started his senior career, Gvardiol was part of two Croatian League title victories, a Croatian Cup win, and a Croatian Super Cup triumph during his two seasons at home before moving to Germany's RB Leipzig.

In his tenure with Leipzig, Gvardiol made 87 appearances, netted five goals, and helped the team clinch two DFB-Pokal trophies across the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns.

On the international front, he has 21 caps for Croatia and played a crucial role in their third-place finish in the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar.

Expressing his excitement about the move, Gvardiol said, “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. 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 have the chance to work with Pep Guardiola, too, will be amazing. To be linking up with Mateo Kovacic will also be special."

Manchester City's Director of Football, Txiki Begiristain, hailed Gvardiol's arrival, stating, “We are very happy to bring Josko to Manchester City. He is a player we have watched closely, and we feel he has a superb set of attributes. 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.”