Barcelona plotting stunning raid on Manchester City defence in 2026 – Pep Guardiola future to dictate transfer | OneFootball

Manchester City star Josko Gvardiol has been linked with a move to Barcelona, who are looking to shore up their central defensive ranks, as per a new report.

The Croatian arrived in Manchester in the summer of 2023 and has been consistently excellent over the past two-and-a-half seasons, operating as a left-back and a centre-back to go above and beyond in justifying the financial outlay in securing his services from RB Leipzig.

After taking a couple of months to find a settled role in the side, Gvardiol established himself as City’s first-choice left-back in the 2023-24 season. He surprised pundits and fans alike with his swashbuckling performances and consistent attacking threat, scoring five goals and supplying two assists in his first season in England.

Last season, the 23-year-old was one of the few players who stood out amidst Manchester City’s wider struggles. Gvardiol appeared in all but one of City’s Premier League games, scoring six goals in all competitions – an especially impressive feat given that he moved into the centre of defence in the final part of the campaign.

Gvardiol has formed a very successful partnership with Ruben Dias at the heart of City’s backline since the turn of the year, keeping treble winners John Stones and Nathan Ake out of the team amid uncertainty over the future(s) of the centre-half pair, who could both leave the Blues at the end of the current campaign.

Pep Guardiola’s defensive unit looks to be returning to its very best, with City letting in just one goal in their last five games in all competitions. Hence, the Catalan will be desperate to keep this defence together and revamp his backline when director of football Hugo Viana enters the transfer market next summer, especially in the event of notable exits.

However, as reported by Mundo Deportivo and relayed by Sport Witness, Barcelona are now interested in signing Gvardiol in 2026. The La Liga leaders’ interest stems from the indefinite leave of absence that Ronald Araujo has been granted, as well as the impending expiration of Andreas Christensen’s contract.

Notably, It is reported that the Blaugrana will not look to finalise any potential move for Gvardiol until next summer, while Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni is also greatly admired by the Spanish giants, whose backline can be fairly regarded as the area of the squad that needs greatest addressing in the coming transfer windows.

It has also been hinted that Barcelona may be more likely to move for Gvardiol if Guardiola leaves the Etihad Stadium at the end of the 2025-26 season, with the Manchester City manager recently linked with a possible exit next summer – a year before the expiration of his current deal.

However, it seems highly unlikely that Viana would allow Gvardiol to leave Manchester for any price, regardless of Guardiola’s situation. The defender has his best years well ahead of him, yet he is already making world-class contributions to the City backline and providing a useful attacking output.

Gvardiol will be a key asset for Manchester City in the long run and may take on more of a leadership role as the likes of Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis embed into the first-team next year, placing himself as a central cog in the evolution of the in-transition Manchester City team.

City will knock back any and all approaches for Gvardiol, who is an indispensable member of Guardiola’s ranks at the Etihad Stadium and is firmly expected to build on his impressive early seasons in England and establish himself as one of the most complete defenders in world football in the seasons to come.