Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol's exit is shaping up with a concrete offer received from Barcelona.
Gvardiol returned from a long-term injury at the end of last season with Manchester City and is preparing to play in his second World Cup, following Croatia's third-placed finish in Qatar, in 2022.
With the defender said to be high on the priority list for several of Europe's elite, City are facing a battle to keep the star, as an exodus ensues.
Manchester City could add Josko Gvardiol to the growing number of summer exits
It's been a busy summer already for the Eastlands outfit, with manager Pep Guardiola announcing his departure after a decade – followed by two key lieutenants of his squad.
John Stones and Bernardo Silva both called time on their City careers at the end of the campaign, and FourFourTwo understands that there could be several sales, with the likes of Nathan Ake and Omar Marmoush for the chopping block.
Gvardiol, however, is one player that the Etihad Stadium would hate to let go – yet according to Fussball Transfers, Barcelona are keen on bringing the 24-year-old to Camp Nou.
Arch-rivals Real Madrid have already identified the star as a potential solution to their woes at left-back alongside Arsenal ace Riccardo Calafiori, while Bayern Munich are said to want to improve in that area of the pitch, too.
FourFourTwo understands that Gvardiol is very much a part of City's plans going forward, but with the club very much in flux right now, there is a chance that he could have his head turned by Catalonia.
This new report states that Barça have made a concrete opening offer to City worth €80 million – suggesting that personal terms with Gvardiol will not be a problem for Hansi Flick's side.
It remains unlikely that a deal would be brokered before the World Cup, with the player wishing to concentrate on the tournament and City firm in their stance that Gvardiol is under contract and under no pressure to sell him to a European rival.
City signed the Zagreb-born stopper from RB Leipzig for a fee reported by the BBC to be worth around €90m – or £77m – back in 2023, with Gvardiol's contract still with another two years to run.
The Croatian has been a massive hit in the north west, playing a big role in the Premier League title win of 2024 from left-back and picking up Manchester City Player of the Season in 2025.
Gvardiol is worth €70m, according to Transfermarkt. Croatia take on England in their World Cup 2026 opener.
