Second Manchester City star leaves door open to Real Madrid move | OneFootball

Real Madrid are expected to strengthen their defence this summer, and one of the names they have been heavily linked with is Manchester City man Josko Gvardiol. The Croatian international is at a crossroads in his City career, and could be on the move this summer, with Barcelona also linked to Gvardiol.

The likely new manager Jose Mourinho has reportedly sent Los Blancos a document stating that he would like four to six signings, including two central defenders. It seems likely that Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate will be one of those, but Gvardiol could kill two birds with one stone, given he can play both at left-back and centre-back. That was also the case for David Alaba, who left as a free agent this summer.

Gvardiol leaves door open to Real Madrid move

Image via El Desmarque

Another of City’s stars, Rodri Hernandez, has also been heavily linked with a move to Los Blancos, and left the door open to a move to Madrid after the World Cup. Gvardiol, speaking to Marca, took a similar line to Rodri.

“We’ve all seen the rumours coming from all sides. I’m happy at Manchester City, I have everything I need. Before the injury, I played every game and almost every minute. After the World Cup, we’ll see what happens.”

Real Madrid may seek cheaper options

Image via Manchester City FC.

It would be something of a surprise to see Los Blancos splash the cash on Gvardiol. Currently the 24-year-old has two years left on his deal, so it seems likely they will look to sell him, or hand a new contract to him. Given he arrived for €90m from RB Leipzig though, he is unlikely to come cheap.

While Real Madrid have spent big on deals in recent years, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe most notably, rarely do they break the bank for a defender, as shown by the Konate deal. With several more signings expected, they seek to spread their resources more evenly than on a major deal for Gvardiol.