Man City given DEADLINE for record transfer
Tom Weber
- 29 Jul 2023 16:33 BST
- 3 min read
Despite seemingly having unlimited money, Manchester City don't always get their way and the Josko Gvardiol saga could be another instance of this.
It has been several weeks now since it emerged that the Cityzens were once again keen on signing the Croatian defender. Personal terms were not an issue for a player who has outgrown the Bundesliga since his switch to RB Leipzig in 2021 for €18.8 million.
Precisely because of this, the move appears to be stalling, however: because of Gvardiol's steep development curve in recent years, the Red Bulls are demanding a pretty penny for his services. Indeed, they want to make the 21-year-old the world's most expensive defender.
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City have thus far been reluctant to meet Leipzig's asking price. Their initial, verbal offer worth €75m was rejected out of hand by the Germans as they want at least €100m, which would shatter the €87m record Manchester United set when they signed Harry Maguire in 2019.
With the negotiations having reached an impasse, Leipzig have now given their English counterparts a deadline.
Will City strike a deal?
The Daily Mail claims that Leipzig have told City that they must complete the move by August 12, the day of the German Supercup when the reigning DFB-Pokal champions face Bayern Munich.
With the Bundesliga set to kick off on August 18, the Saxons have no intention of letting a late departure unsettle their squad - unlike what has happened at sister club RB Salzburg with the departure of coach Matthias Jaissle for Al-Ahli 48 hours before the start of the season.
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Sporting director Max Eberl has previously said that Leipzig are under no obligation to let their star defender walk as he is under contract until 2027. "Financially we are fine," he said. "We have sold big and we have done good incoming deals. We have done 16 transfers in total and our 29-man squad is perfect if Gvardiol stays."
