Man City now want double Bundesliga raid with Mahrez replacement to follow Gvardiol after Pep confirmation
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola
Manchester City will look to follow up the addition of Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig with a move for another Bundesliga talent, a report has suggested.
Gvardiol is on the verge of finally becoming a Man City player after he began his medical tests on Friday. A transfer fee in the region of €90m (£77.7m) has been agreed with RB Leipzig, who were reluctant to lose the centre-back below their valuation.
But a breakthrough was ultimately reached and the Gvardiol deal is now at the final stages.
On Friday, Man City boss Pep Guardiola confirmed the defender was putting the finishing touches to his transfer.
Guardiola said at a press conference: “Regarding Gvardiol – what a beautiful surname he has – he’s doing a medical test.
“Everybody knows he’s here, and hopefully we can finish the deal in the next hours, the next days.”
Gvardiol is in line to become Man City’s second signing of the summer after they also bought his Croatian compatriot Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea to reinforce their midfield.
But Guardiola could be awaiting further additions to his treble-winning squad.
On the topic of any subsequent transfer plans, Guardiola replied: “I don’t know. I think it is going to move, something. Not yet.”
Man City interest confirmed for Wirtz
As for what other deals could be on the agenda for Man City, a report from Football Transfers has explained how they are still in the market for a replacement for Riyad Mahrez after his move to Al Ahli in the Saudi Professional League.
To fill the void, Man City could turn to Florian Wirtz, who – like Gvardiol – would be arriving from a Bundesliga club, in his case Bayer Leverkusen.
TEAMtalk revealed back in March that Man City were serious with their interest in Wirtz. Now, Football Transfers has reiterated that Guardiola admires the attacking midfielder, who in turn would be open to the move.
The only issue would be what kind of asking price Bayer Leverkusen would set. Because of some other sales they could make, they do not feel under too much pressure to let Wirtz go for a low fee.
Every player has a price, though, and Man City could test their resolve for the 20-year-old.
More of a central attacking midfielder than a winger like Mahrez, he can nevertheless cover in a variety of attacking roles, which may make him an appealing player for Guardiola to work with.
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