Manchester City "remain in talks" with Bundesliga side RB Leipzig over star defender Josko Gvardiol, but contrary to reports, "there is no agreement at this stage," per Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge.
Is Josko Gvardiol joining Manchester City?
It was a record-breaking, era-defining season for Pep Guardiola's relentless City side last year.
Not only did they win the Premier League at an eventual canter after battling with Arsenal for much of the year, but they also beat local rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final and Inter in the Champions League final to clinch a historic treble – the first in the club's history and only the second in English football.
Even with all that success, the Citizens show no sign of slowing down or resting on their laurels as they now look set to attack the transfer market to strengthen a squad that already looks near enough perfect.
The name that has been most heavily touted for a move to the Etihad Stadium so far this summer is Croatia international and Leipzig centre-back, Gvardiol.
The 21-year-old is coming off the back of a brilliant domestic campaign that saw him enjoy an equally brilliant World Cup halfway through, and according to the Daily Mail, City are about to break their own transfer record to sign him in a deal estimated to be worth around £90m.
However, while the interest is certainly genuine – he is the club's number-one transfer target – the reports that a fee has been agreed for the player are premature, as at this point, the clubs have only been in discussions, according to Sky Sports reporter Bridge.
Explaining the situation live on Sky Sports News, he said:
"We understand that they remain in talks. I know there are some sources and reports elsewhere that this is getting close, but our colleagues in Germany, alongside us, are saying that there is no agreement with Manchester City at this stage and an agreement is not in sight."
How good is Josko Gvardiol?
Those who don't watch RB Leipzig very often and missed Croatia's games at the World Cup might wonder just how good a player Gvardiol is. To put it bluntly, he's excellent.
According to WhoScored, the Zagreb-born "monster" averaged a rating of 6.67 across his 30 Bundesliga appearances last season and maintained a seriously impressive passing accuracy of 89.3% – the best in the team – alongside an interception rate only bettered by two of his teammates.
His underlying numbers are just as impressive and suggest that under a manager like Guardiola and a team as dominant as City, he could reach even higher levels than he already has.
According to FBref, which compares players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the 6 foot 1 titan sits in the top 1% for attempted passes, the top 4% for successful take-ons, the top 9% for non-penalty goals and the top 10% for non-penalty expected goals per 90.
So impressive has Gvardiol been that football scout Jacek Kulig proclaimed him – in a somewhat tongue-in-cheek manner – "The Haaland of Defenders."
If City can get this deal over the line, it's hard to see how anyone will be able to catch them next season.
