Manchester United are reportedly one of a host of top Premier League clubs interested in signing Croatia and RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol in the summer transfer window.
What's the situation with Gvardiol?
There were many players who shone at the 2022 World Cup but few enhanced their reputations more the 21-year-old. Gvardiol featured in all seven of Croatia's matches in Qatar, standing out as one of the best defenders at the tournament and helping his country finish third overall, with his performances labelled "sensational" by journalist Zach Lowy.
It is no surprise to see that the youngster is one of Europe's most wanted young players currently, with numerous clubs linked with making a move for him at the end of the season.
United are one of those clubs who are believed to be in the mix, as Erik ten Hag looks to bolster this squad options during the upcoming transfer window. Gvardiol has a widely known £97m release clause which becomes active in 2024, so he will not come cheap either this summer or next.
Will he join Manchester United?
According to Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke, United are 'showing interest' in acquiring Gvardiol's signature, should Leipzig allow him to leave this summer. The Red Devils are far from alone in expressing an eagerness to sign the defender, however, with Tottenham, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Liverpool all mentioned in the report, too.
Gvardiol's current Leipzig deal doesn't expire until the summer of 2027, putting them in an extremely strong bargaining position and allowing them demand a huge fee for one of their most prized assets, or simply to refer suitors to the £97m clause.
There is no denying Gvardiol's talent as a player – he has been described as someone with "limitless" potential by pundit Alex Scott – and he has all the assets to be one of the standout centre-backs of his generation. At the World Cup, he averaged an incredible 5.3 clearances per game, while in this season's Champions League for Leipzig, he has an 89% pass completion rate.
He could be outstanding for United, but the one drawback is the fact that Ten Hag already has Lisandro Martinez in that left-sided centre-back role, and at 25, he is likely to remain a key figure for many years, meaning it would hard to fit both into the team.
Give the money that Gvardiol would likely cost, United could be wiser to use those funds in areas of the pitch that look weaker, such as in attack, where someone like Harry Kane or Victor Osimhen is needed as a world-class addition to lead the line.
