Man City: £85m star now ‘keen’ on ‘getting deal over the line’ at the Etihad

Manchester City could now face a roadblock in their attempts to sign Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig, despite the defender’s intention to move to the club, Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has revealed to GIVEMESPORT.Gvardiol is a key target for Pep Guardiola’s side this summer, but Sheth has hinted about a potential problem in the negotiations for the Croatian starlet.
Manchester City transfer news – Josko Gvardiol
Fresh from winning the treble last season, Guardiola and Co. haven’t wasted any time in ensuring their squad is ready to compete for trophies next time around.It started with the acquisition of Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea, with the midfielder putting pen to paper on a transfer worth a modest £30 million (Sky Sports).Kovacic was brought into the City squad to replace the departing Ilkay Gundogan, who just weeks after lifting the club’s first-ever Champions League trophy, left for Barcelona on a free transfer.Gundogan had come to the end of his contract in east Manchester and left with his reputation and stock as high as ever.However, as the new campaign edges closer, it’s expected there will be a few more incomings and outgoings at the Etihad, with Gvardiol now the most likely to join.It’s reported by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano that City are deep in talks for the left-sided defender, with Gvardiol keen to sign for the Premier League champions.Speaking to his 16 million Twitter followers, Romano claimed personal terms had already been ‘agreed’ between the club and player, with the only issue left to sort the fee.And according to Sky Sports reporter Sheth, that still remains the case.
What has Dharmesh Sheth said about Gvardiol to City?
When speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Sheth indicated that both City and RB Leipzig were still someway off from agreeing on a figure for Gvardiol’s signature.On the negotiation, the Sky Sports reporter said: “As with all transfers of this magnitude, there seems to be a gap in valuation.”I think RB Leipzig are trying to hold firm on their €100 million asking price, but City don’t want to pay that much at all.”Can a compromise be made? Well, the fact that they are talking would suggest that both clubs and the player are quite keen on getting a deal like this over the line.”
Who might Gvardiol be replacing at City?
Notorious for preferring a small squad, it’s likely Guardiola will sanction the exit of at least one City player, should the Gvardiol deal get completed before deadline day.The most obvious makeweight is Aymeric Laporte, the subject of interest from various top clubs across the continent.It’s suggested by Corriere dello Sport (via TEAMtalk) that Laporte could be free to leave City for just £26 million this summer – a price tag that is attracting the attention of Europe’s biggest sides.And according to a report from Spain, one of the clubs in the mix is Arsenal, who would be open to offering the French-born defender refuge at the Emirates Stadium.Laporte featured just 12 times in the Premier League last season, with game time likely to come much more frequently under Mikel Arteta in north London.