It is easy to see why Manchester City have reportedly submitted a bid for Josko Gvardiol given his incredible performances at the World Cup with Croatia.
Reports have suggested that City are embroiled in a transfer battle with some of Europe’s elite for the RB Leipzig defender, with Pep Guardiola’s side having already offered £85m for the 20-year-old wonderkid.
The former Dinamo Zagreb man was already catching the eye with his performances for the Bundesliga side, averaging an impressive 7.08 rating for his displays in the Champions League, with the youngster seemingly performing best on the big stage.
He has been one of the stars for Croatia in Qatar as they earned a bronze medal after beating Morocco in the third-placed playoff on Saturday afternoon, and if Txiki Begiristain was watching him, it will surely have increased City’s interest in Gvardiol ahead of next month’s transfer window.
As per SofaScore, the centre-back would earn a strong 7.4/10 rating for his performance against the Atlas Lions, with only four players rated higher.
Gvardiol gave Croatia an early lead as he benefitted from a clever set-piece routine to send a flying header into the top corner for his first World Cup goal.
He also played his part defensively in the win, contributing three interceptions and four clearances, which almost ensures that the young defender will finish the tournament with the most clearances of any player, as he currently leads the way with 37, while he is also currently second for interceptions with 11.
This emphasises just how impressive he has been for Croatia and at the age of 20, it seems as if the RB Leipzig man is only going to get better and is destined for a career at the top.
As you would expect from any player linked with a Guardiola side, Gvardiol’s passing was also exemplary again on Saturday, as he completed 60/66 passes and five out of eight long balls, losing possession on just seven occasions in the 90 minutes.
After another eye-catching display, the defender earned plenty of praise from the pundits on BBC (via TEAMtalk).
Alex Scott said: “We’ve seen the 20-year-old centre-back again, the performance. His potential is just limitless. We’re seeing every aspect of his game and that’s what you always need.”
Jurgen Klinsmann added: “And also getting his moment with Messi. Okay, best player in the world! Take that lesson and then move on and he showed that today.
“He shook it off and had a brilliant game again so there’s a lot more to come from Gvardiol.”
Therefore, the defensive brute has already shown that he can perform at the very top, and Manchester City should do all they can to ensure that he makes the move to the Etihad in 2023.