Man City turn Premier League into Bundesliga with WORLD-RECORD deal

Tom Weber

• Updated: 26 Jun 2023 11:14 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester City appear to be closing in on the signing of Josko Gvardiol in what could become a world-record transfer for a defender.

Though the treble winners are apparently reluctant to match RB Leipzig's hefty asking price, the deal nevertheless seems to be developing positively for the Manchester club, if Fabrizio Romano is to be believed.

Completing the transfer would further drive the bundesligafication of the Premier League that has been going on for years - and not just because Gvardiol is one of the German league's best defenders.

The problem isn't signing Bundesliga talent, the issue is City's almost unchallenged dominance of the English game and now also Europe at large, having finally claimed the one trophy that had hitherto proved elusive, the Champions League.

READ: Man City set to complete WORLD RECORD transfer

Much like Bayern, Pep Guardiola's side are the hegemon in what is quickly becoming a one-team league, although the process isn't as advanced yet as it is in Germany seeing as though City's is still relatively 'new money,' whereas Bayern have been their country's premier club for decades.

Just another Man Utd?

Detractors will point to football's cyclical nature and say that City are just another Manchester United or Liverpool, teams that dominate the game for a few years before ultimately entering a transition period that causes them to drop off.

While there may yet be some truth in that - we will see what happens when Guardiola ultimately leaves - there is a stark difference: Manchester City's dominance is built on irregularities and what essentially amounts to cheating. This is, of course, nothing new in a business rampant with crookedness.

But it does make City's supremacy tougher to swallow. Bayern established their hegemony legally, within the framework of the free market - whether this is the best way to govern football is for others to judge - whereas City had to outright break the rules to get here.

READ: From Gundogan to Aguero: Barcelona's insane list of recent free transfers

It ultimately makes little difference because the outcome is the same: a less exciting, less attractive competition. The Premier League is still the best league in the world, but if it requires a team to massively exceed expectations, as Arsenal did, in order just to give City a challenge (only to end up empty-handed anyway), the product will suffer, further alienating fans who are already fed up with the league for entirely different reasons.

City have won four of the last five league titles. Signing Josko Gvardiol for what could yet be a world-record fee will further cement their dominance. While they will continue to play good football and be fun to watch, Manchester City will hurt the Premier League in the long run.