iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
The American birdies the 18th for a one-shot victory over LIV Golf's DeChambeau to reach a career-best second spot in the world rankings
KT APPDOWNLOAD
Manchester City close to signing Croatia centre back Josko Gvardiol
The English and European champions are set to sign the Croatian centre back for a reported 90 million euros
Croatia's Josko Gvardiol during the Euro 2024 group D qualifying match against Wales. — AP
Manchester City are ready to make a big move in the transfer market, days before the start of the new season.
The English and European champions are set to sign Croatia centre back Josko Gvardiol for a reported 90 million euros ($98.3 million) from German club Leipzig, making him one of the world's most expensive defenders.
Neither City nor Leipzig have commented publicly about the deal for Gvardiol, who will reportedly undergo a medical examination this week.
Manchester United's Harry Maguire cost 80 million pounds (then $97 million) when he joined from Leicester in 2019, while Virgil van Dijk moved from Southampton to Liverpool for 75 million pounds (then $100 million) in 2018.
The 21-year-old Gvardiol, known as “Little Pep” because of his name's likeness to City manager Pep Guardiola, is one of the most highly rated defenders in the world and enhanced his reputation with impressive performances for Croatia at the World Cup last year.
He has played for Leipzig for two seasons, having previously been at Dinamo Zagreb. He was immediately a key player in the Bundesliga at the age of just 19, winning the German Cup in each of his seasons with Leipzig.
Gvardiol is a left-footed center back and would likely play on the left of City's back three, if Guardiola persists with a 3-2-4-1 formation he deployed in the second half of last season.
City also has Nathan Ake for that role in a formation that essentially sees the team play a defense full of center backs and dispense with full backs.
Gvardiol would be City's second signing of the offseason, after Croatia teammate Mateo Kovacic, who replaced Ilkay Gundogan in the squad. Gundogan, City's captain last season in its treble-winning campaign, has joined Barcelona.
Leipzig will be losing a third key player this offseason, having sold playmaker Dominik Szoboszlai to Liverpool and forward Christopher Nkunku to Chelsea.
ALSO READ:
More news from Sports
Pogacar took his fourth stage victory to go around 6min 41sec clear with six stages remaining
Usyk is the first boxer to become undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield in 1999
Rematch on the cards after judges make Usyk the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the world in almost 25 years
The Irishman shot a 62 to tie the lowest score in major history and so nearly pull-off one of the most epic rounds in the history of golf
IPL 2024: 'What a night' says Du Plessis as RCB hold off late CSK charge to snatch last playoff slot
Defending champion Chennai eliminated after losing Chinnaswamy Stadium thriller 27 runs as Bengaluru reach knockout stage of tournament for a ninth time
The world number one sounded out a warning to her rivals ahead of this month's French Open where she is a three-time champion
Piastri qualifies on the front row for McLaren as weekend remembers Senna 30 years after he died at Imola