Manchester City are reportedly still confident of landing a transfer deal for RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol this summer.
The Premier League champions remain locked in negotiations with RB Leipzig over a payment structure to sign the centre-back.
Earlier this week, it was reported that the two clubs had agreed a deal that would see the centre-back join the Manchester club and that he had already completed part of a medical.
However, this has since been debunked, with Leipzig’s director, Max Eberl, revealing that no deal has been struck for the Croatian.
“There is no agreement with Manchester City. Not even close. The fact is that Man City would like to have him. Currently we are still very far apart,” Eberl told Sky Sports in Germany.
“The transfer of Szoboszlai has secured us financially. We don’t need the money. We would prefer Joško to stay. We are not a club that blocks anything. We are transparent. But we have our ideas and want them to be implemented.”
With the Citizens now failing to sign the 21-year-old before starting their pre-season tour of Asia, some behind-the-scenes have emerged regarding the club’s current stance in their chase for Gvardiol.
According to a recent report from the Manchester Evening News, Gvardiol “remains City’s priority in the transfer window and there remains confidence that he will join despite a deal not being struck in time for the player to join the Blues on the start of their pre-season tour.”
A separate report by BBC Sport Football Reporter Simon Stone claims City don’t want to pay the price Leipzig want and Leipzig feel they are justified in asking for it because release clause is higher next summer.
The fact that they haven’t walked away from a deal, as they did with Declan Rice earlier in the window, shows that this is a move they want to complete.
Now that it has been claimed that there is still confidence from City that this move for Gvardiol will happen, this should reassure a lot of supporters that are hoping to see it get finalised.
The report was shared on Twitter by City Xtra and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters, with many frustrated with this Josko Gvardiol saga.
@CityzenAmerica: “This feels ominous”
@JPJoker01: “If we don’t want to pay what they want, why didn’t we walk away weeks ago lmao”
@h3mzamcfc: They’ve been told the price for a whole year”
@shawnumo: “Txiki and Soriano are not serious.”
@NicoMCI: “I’ve lost my patience. Just pay the €100m+ already”
@befournoon: “We’ve known RB leipzig want him to be the most expensive defender ever and we didn’t drop the case why are we acting like a broke club now.”
@horseycity: “Then we don’t get him simple as. We have been told the price for 12 months they’ve never changed. Pay it now or just walk out simple as Leipzig have said continously there is no negotiation..”
@2supermaxy: “Walk away; we don’t even need him. There are only 2 or 3 clubs that would drop £100m on a defender. He’ll either get cheaper or become overly expensive, making it not even worth it for a defender.””
@MunroTosh: “Gvardiol isn’t a need for city its a want, I’ll get why people were upset if it was a player we needed but there’s no hole in the team that he slots into and for that price what significant difference does he make to us defensively we’re solid back there”
@arguewityamama: “Our defense is solid. We don’t need Gvardiol”
