No talks with Hugo Viana over Josko Gvardiol contract extension, says Pep Guardiola | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has admitted he has not been briefed on the details of Manchester City’s reported contract talks with Josko Gvardiol.

Speaking in a press conference ahead of Saturday’s fixture against Brentford, Guardiola was asked about City’s reported offer of a lucrative contract extension for the 24-year-old, who has been sidelined since January with a tibial fracture but returned to training this week.

Gvardiol, who joined City from RB Leipzig in 2023, is approaching the final two years of his current deal this summer, with Real Madrid among the elite clubs understood to have held a long-standing interest in the Croatian.

Guardiola: I would love Josko to stay at Man City

Asked directly about Gvardiol’s future on Friday, Guardiola was candid about the limits of his own involvement in the negotiations.

“That I don’t have info. No, I didn’t speak with Hugo about that,” he said on probed on whether he had spoken to Manchester City sporting director Hugo Viana on the club’s reported contract offer to Gvardiol.

“I would love Josko to stay here – it’s not easy to find a player like him. So hopefully he can stay!”

The warmth in Guardiola’s words is telling. His description of Gvardiol as a player who is “not easy to find” reflects the regard in which he holds the 24-year-old and serves as a public statement of intent at a time when the contract talks are still ongoing.

Gvardiol has been one of City’s most important players this season before his January injury, establishing himself as one of the finest defenders in European football and attracting the attention of the continent’s biggest clubs.

Viana and co, who have agreed a fresh four-year contract with Phil Foden this week and want to tie Rodri down to a long-term deal, have made his renewal a priority – and Guardiola’s public backing on Friday adds further weight to City’s case for keeping him.

What is the wider context for Gvardiol’s future?

Gvardiol’s situation is one of the most significant contract decisions facing City this summer – alongside the unresolved future of Rodri, who has transfer interest from Real Madrid as he enters the last 12 months of his current deal at the Etihad Stadium.

With Bernardo Silva and John Stones both confirmed as departing at the end of the season, Viana will be keen to avoid further high-profile exits, particularly of a player of Gvardiol’s age and quality.

Real Madrid’s interest, meanwhile, is the kind of background pressure that only intensifies the closer a player gets to the final year of his deal. Guardiola’s message on Friday was clear – he wants Gvardiol to stay, he rates him enormously and he is hopeful the feeling is mutual.