Manchester City are attempting to secure Josko Gvardiol’s future in their latest attempt to tie down their stars.
The reigning Premier League champions are already reportedly in talks to extend Erling Haaland ’s stay at the Etihad Stadium. An agreement between the striker and City has yet to arrive.
But it appears that Haaland’s future is not the only thing on the agenda for City chiefs for the coming months. The club are also attempting to reward Croatian defender Gvardiol with a new deal.
The former RB Leipzig man still has just under four years left to run on his current deal. But his performances have been so impressive that City are keen to agree fresh terms sooner rather than later.
According to the Daily Star, Gvardiol will be offered a two-year extension to that existing deal that will take him to 2030. The new deal will also see the defender’s wage packet increased up to £150,000 per week from £120,000.
Since arriving from £70m from RB Leipzig last summer, the 22-year-old has made 56 appearances for City and won the Premier League in his debut season. He has also developed a reputation for spectacular strikes.
Explaining how he has become a goalscoring defender, Gvardiol said: "To be fair I didn't expect that from me. All I wanted before I joined City was to be a solid defender next to Ruben [Dias], John [Stones], Manu [Akanji] and [Nathan] Ake, no matter who you play with, and then the manager decided to turn me into a number 10, a left winger!
"When I was younger, I used to play everywhere on the pitch, even a striker, winger, holding midfielder, attacking midfielder. I feel comfortable no matter where I play, and I find myself many times in this left pocket because the manager wants me to be there.”
Gvardiol has also spoken out on his manager’s future, with Pep Guardiola having less than a year remaining on his contract. He said: “Pep is always passionate and focused. He's constantly innovating and motivating us.
“We would all love for him to stay longer because he brings out the best in us and has built something special here. Working under Pep is so rewarding.
“He constantly pushes us to reach our full potential and be perfect in every aspect of our game. His high standards and incredible attention to detail have helped me grow as a player and as a person.”