Josko Gvardiol is set to join Manchester City after the treble winners agreed a £77 million deal for the RB Leipzig defender.

Manchester City have agreed a fee of £77 million with RB Leipzig for defender Josko Gvardiol

City negotiated with Leipzig all summer and finally reached an agreement on Tuesday. The two clubs have agreed on a fee of £77 million, with no add-ons. Gvardiol, 21, is scheduled to have his medical at the end of this week or after the Community Shield match against Arsenal on Sunday.

The move will make the Croatian international the second-costliest defender of all time signed by a premier league club. The fee is just shy of £80 million, which Manchester United paid for Harry Maguire back in 2019.

Gvardiol will be joining his Croatian teammate Kovacic who was signed by the Citizens earlier this summer. Josko Gvardiol was yet another breakout star in the 2022 World Cup and has earned his transfer to the treble winners. 

The transfers make a lot of sense and would fit in Pep’s system. A different tactic was displayed by Pep in the last season. He started playing the central defenders in the side-back position. Rather than attacking fullbacks, he used the likes of John Stones, Manuel Akanji and Natan Ake on the flanks.  

Many top clubs, including Chelsea and Tottenham, had expressed interest in signing the 21-year-old but City managed to win the race.