RB Leipzig have turned down an €80m (£67m) bid from Manchester City for defender Josko Gvardiol, according to Bild.
The Croatian, who has been capped ten times at senior level, is very highly rated, and he has also been linked with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal this summer. However, it appears the Citizens are the first ones to have made a formal bid for the player.
Leipzig have been adamant that they are not interested in selling Gvardiol during the current transfer window and their rejection of City’s proposal suggests they intend to keep hold of the centre-back whatever offer comes their way.
It should be noted that Bild‘s report has been disputed by the Telegraph journalist Stefan Bienkowski who says that, while a transfer fee was discussed, no official bid was tabled:
Here’s what I’ve been told: Manchester City contacted RB Leipzig about the availability of Josko Gvardiol last week. A transfer fee was discussed.
But the English champions have NOT made an official bid for the defender, despite new reports to the contrary.
— Stefan Bienkowski (@SBienkowski) August 2, 2022
Bienkowski suggests Chelsea could well step up their interest in Gvardiol soon, as they are keen to sign the 20-year-old even if they do secure the signature of Marc Cucurella. Supporters will be very unhappy if their Premier League rivals do attempt to hijack another transfer.
