Manchester City have entered intensive negotiations with Josko Gvardiol over a long-term contract extension, following widespread rumors suggesting the defender is unhappy with his current role at the Etihad Stadium.
Over the past month, reports claimed that the Croatian international was considering an exit from City, with his agent allegedly offering his services to European giants such as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Last week, Barcelona joined the race to sign Gvardiol. Catalan outlets reported that manager Hansi Flick highly prefers the City star over Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni.
However, Barcelona’s mission to lure Gvardiol to Spain is about to become significantly more complicated. English media revealed on Wednesday that “advanced” talks are underway, which will likely secure the defender’s long-term future in Manchester.
City’s new manager, Enzo Maresca, views Gvardiol as a unique asset in his backline and an “untouchable” pillar for the club’s upcoming project.
To convince him to stay, the Manchester City board plans to offer Gvardiol a substantial salary increase—a financial package that Barcelona, given their current economic constraints, simply cannot match.
The 24-year-old defender originally joined City in the summer of 2023 from RB Leipzig in a blockbuster deal worth €90 million.
Gvardiol’s current contract runs until the summer of 2028, and the new proposed deal is expected to extend his stay with the English champions by at least three additional years.
