Manchester City have confirmed the signing of Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig on a five-year contract, with the fee believed to be €90m (£77.6m). The 21-year-old centre-back becomes the club's second summer signing following fellow Croatian international Mateo Kovacic.
Gvardiol, who made 87 appearances for Leipzig over two seasons, was instrumental in Croatia's run to the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar. He expressed his delight at joining the treble winners, saying: 'Anyone who saw Manchester City play last season knows they are the best team in the world. To win the treble says everything you need to know about the quality this team has.'
The defender also joked about now being teammates with Erling Haaland, who had caused him problems in the Bundesliga and Champions League. 'It's nice to have him on my side now – last season and in the Bundesliga, he was a tough player. Luckily, I don't have to worry about him any more!'
City's director of football, Txiki Begiristain, said: 'We are very happy to bring Josko to Manchester City. He is a player we have watched closely, and we feel he has a superb set of attributes. Top clubs all over Europe have been monitoring him, so to bring him here is great news for us.'
Gvardiol will wear the No 24 shirt and is expected to work under manager Pep Guardiola, who confirmed the player was undergoing a medical on Friday.
