Manchester City leading the race to land in-demand Chelsea summer target

Manchester City are closing in on the signing of Chelsea target Josko Gvardiol

Manchester City are in advanced negotiations with German club RB Leipzig over the signing of Chelsea target Josko Gvardiol for a massive £86 million in the ongoing summer transfer window.

As per the Telegraph, (h/t Metro) the move is almost complete, and the centre-back will join the club in the coming days. It more or less ends our pursuit of the player who now looks set to become the most expensive defender in history.

Just 21, the Croatian is already a household name and has plenty of experience to go with it. He should form the crux of their rearguard for the decade to come. One could argue that Chelsea have missed a trick here in future proofing their backline.

City weren’t the only club interested in signing the 21-year-old; Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are also keen on adding the centre-back to their backlines. But City are clearly winning the race and unless there is a late twist involving a bucketload of money, the deal is as good as done.

Although Gvardiol has made good progress in recent years, the 2022 World Cup marked something of a turning point for the player as he gained recognition. He is now one of the best young centre-backs in Europe and is also a playerwho can also play left-back.

His addition to the City’s backline will further make them stronger and a tougher team to break down. Chelsea, though they have a good number of defenders, have some whose futures are uncertain. Thiago Silva and Trevoh Chalobah are among those whose futures are far from clear.

The arrival of Gvardiol at Chelsea would have been fantastic; he could have filled in for Silva at the back and given our defence more depth. He has already proven himself to be a capable backline leader at the age of 21, and given his on-field qualities, he may one day serve as captain.

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The Croatian centre-back could now be signed by City unless Chelsea makes a last-minute offer that swill blow Pep Guardiola’s side out of the water. There appears to be little hope of that happening and we will now have to look elsewhere to bring in Silva’s replacement.