Done deal: Barcelona target agrees to renew contract with Manchester City until 2031 | OneFootball

In a major development, Fabrizio Romano reports that Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol, a target for FC Barcelona, has agreed to sign a new contract at the Etihad Stadium.

The Croatian international will pen a new contract with the Cityzens until the summer of 2031, with a move to Spain no longer on the table.

Gvardiol was in demand

Coming into the summer, Gvardiol was a man in demand, with Barcelona as well as their arch-rivals Real Madrid pushing to sign him.

The Blaugrana have been on the lookout for a new left-footed centre-half with ball-playing capabilities and physicality, with the Manchester City man was seen as a good fit.

After having abandoned the pursuit of Alessandro Bastoni, the La Liga champions saw the 24-year-old Croatian as a key target and were exploring the possibility of a move.

Gvardiol is set to renew with Manchester City. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

His previous contract with Manchester City stood to expire in 2028 and the departure of Pep Guardiola added another element of intrigue over his future.

But the Premier League giants were always keen on extending his contract and had been working on the deal for quite some time now.

Now, an agreement has finally been reached and Gvardiol’s renewal is considered a done deal, with his extension until the summer of 2031.

What next for Barcelona?

While Gvardiol could have been an excellent signing for Barcelona, a deal was always unlikely, and now it is very much off the table for the summer.

Gvardiol will not join Barcelona. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

A centre-back remains on the agenda for Hansi Flick, Deco & co., but as things stand it is not considered a priority objective.

For now, the entire focus is on signing a top striker to replace Robert Lewandowski, with Atletico Madrid superstar Julian Alvarez the main target for the role.

Once a new centre-forward is signed, and depending upon any departures from the squad, Barcelona will look into the possibility of signing a central defender.

However, what is clear is that Gvardiol will not be moving to Spain in the current transfer window.