Manchester City will sign RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol before the start of August.
That’s according to journalist Graeme Bailey, who has given an update on the deal.
Gvardiol is City’s primary transfer target, and a deal appears to be edging closer to completion.
The 21-year-old centre-back has already agreed to personal terms with Pep Guardiola’s side, and is now just waiting for the two clubs to reach an agreement.
City won the treble last season, but are looking to strengthen their defence with Aymeric Laporte and potentially Kyle Walker headed for the exit.
Deal will happen soon
RB Leipzig want €100m (£86m) for Gvardiol, so if City meet their asking price the Croatian will become the most expensive defender in history.
According to Bailey, the complications of a deal of this magnitude are partly to blame for the slow progress.
“This deal will happen – Gvardiol will become the world’s most expensive defender, it’s just a matter of how the deal is brokered,” Bailey said on 90MIN’s Talking Transfers podcast.
“People get frustrated with clubs, but when we’re talking about €100m, this is a complicated deal. It’s a lot of money – when these payments are going to be made, how much is paid upfront. These finer details do need to be sorted out.”
The journalist rubbished reports that talks between City and Leipzig have stalled and predicted that Gvardiol will be a City player by the end of the month.
“There were reports that talks had stopped – they’d never stopped, it’s quite amicable between the two clubs, they get on well.
“It’s when this deal happens, rather than if. I fully expect Gvardiol to be a City player before the start of the season. I think it will be done before the end of the month. City are confident, it will get done.
“Gvardiol wants to go to City, he’s made that clear, no one else has come in for him. It’s virtually a done deal.”
MCN view: These things take time
It sounds like a simple deal: Gvardiol wants to join City and Leipzig have named their price, so all City have to do is pay it. Right?
Graeme is right though – City will have certain ideas about how payments are structured, and Leipzig will have others. It’s all about finding a happy medium that suits all parties.
