Josko Gvardiol makes club plans clear amid Man City contract talks and Real Madrid interest | OneFootball

Josko Gvardiol has admitted he hopes to stay at Manchester City next season amid transfer interest from Real Madrid and contract talks with the sky Blues.

The comments arrive at a moment of considerable significance, with Real Madrid having maintained a sustained pursuit of the Croatian international throughout the summer transfer window and Manchester City working to secure a long-term renewal that would see one of Europe’s most coveted defenders committed to the club until at least 2031.

City have been reported to be confident of sealing a new contract with an improved salary – and as the club await the defender’s final green light to bring an end to one of the summer’s most protracted transfer sagas.

Gvardiol: “Hopefully I’m going to stay here for many more years”

Speaking to Manchester City’s official channels, Gvardiol addressed his future directly, making no attempt to mask his affection for the club despite strong interest from the Santiago Bernabeu.

“It’s my third season at Man City, of course, and hopefully I’m going to stay here as well, for many more years,” he said as he prepares to take on club teammates John Stones and Marc Guehi in Croatia’s FIFA World Cup opener against England on June 17.

What is the wider context for Gvardiol’s future?

Gvardiol joined Manchester City from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023 in a deal worth in excess of £77 million and despite a difficult opening few months in which he struggled to adapt to Pep Guardiola‘s demands, he has since established himself as one of the most complete left-sided defenders in the Premier League.

Real Madrid identified Gvardiol as a priority target this summer following the departure of several key figures from their defensive unit, while Barcelona also entered the picture with a concrete proposal that City are understood to have blocked entirely as director of football Hugo Viana made the renewal one of his most pressing priorities of the off-season.

A contract until 2031 would extend Gvardiol’s stay at the Etihad by three years beyond his current deal, removing him from the market for the foreseeable future and handing incoming manager Enzo Maresca the defensive cornerstone around which to build his project from the outset.

With Ruben Dias weighing up his club future and Nathan Ake expected to depart, securing Gvardiol’s signature represents far more than a piece of transfer business – it is the foundation stone of City’s next era.

For a defender who, in his own words, has now made the Etihad Stadium home for three seasons and counting, the sentiment feels entirely genuine. The paperwork, it seems, is merely a formality.