Premier League champions Manchester City have announced that Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol has signed a five-year agreement to join the club from Bundesliga team RB Leipzig. The transfer was confirmed on Saturday.
According to reports from British media, Gvardiol was purchased for a fee of 90 million euros ($99 million). This would make the 21-year-old the second most expensive defender in the history of the sport, behind only Harry Maguire, who was purchased by Manchester United in 2019 for a fee of 80 million pounds ($101.98 million).
Gvardiol is the second player that Pep Guardiola has brought in during this transfer window. The first being Mateo Kovacic, a Croatian midfielder who came from Chelsea. In June, City became the first club in history to win the Champions League. They followed it up by winning the FA Cup, therefore completing an extremely uncommon trifecta.
Gvardiol expressed his excitement at joining Manchester City in a statement, saying, “I have always dreamed of one day playing in England, and to be doing so now with Manchester City – after the season they have just had – is a real honor for me.”