Manchester City defender to sign long-term contract on Monday to rebuff Real Madrid interest

Manchester City defender to sign long-term contract on Monday to rebuff Real Madrid interest

Josko Gvardiol will sign his Man City contract extension on Monday and complete media duties

An official announcement of the deal is expected to follow imminently after Monday’s formalities

Gvardiol has been one of Man City’s standout performers since joining from RB Leipzig in 2023

Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol will sign his contract extension on Monday and complete media duties ahead of an official announcement, as per a new report.

The 24-year-old Croatia international has been one of the most consistent performers in the Premier League since joining the club from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023, establishing himself as a key figure in the defensive structure at the Etihad Stadium under both Pep Guardiola and now incoming manager Enzo Maresca .

Gvardiol’s current deal at the club runs until June 2028, and Monday’s signing will represent a further commitment to an organisation he has helped win multiple major honours since his arrival – including the Premier League , the FA Cup , the EFL Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup .

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The timing of the extension is significant, arriving as Manchester City begin pre-season preparations under their new manager and as director of football Hugo Viana looks to secure the futures of the club’s most important players before the summer window closes.

Gvardiol returned from the FIFA World Cup having represented Croatia in North America, with his international side knocked out by Portugal in a 2-1 defeat that also featured several of his City teammates on the opposing side.

Report: Gvardiol to sign and complete media duties on Monday

According to Sam Lee of The Athletic , Gvardiol will sign his Manchester City contract extension on Monday and complete media duties ahead of an official announcement from the club – making him among the first major established stars of the squad to commit their long-term future to the new era under Maresca.

The process mirrors that of Phil Foden’s recently confirmed four-year deal until 2030 , with City moving quickly to remove uncertainty around their key personnel even as the transfer market continues to generate competing narratives around several members of the squad.

Viana has spoken throughout the summer about the importance of building around the core of the existing group, and Gvardiol represents precisely the kind of player that framework is built to retain – young, at the peak of his powers, decorated with City silverware and integral to how Maresca intends to play.

The Croatia international’s versatility – equally capable at centre-back and left-back, composed in possession and physically commanding without the ball – makes him one of the most valuable defensive assets in European football, and one whose retention was always a non-negotiable priority for the club’s sporting structure heading into the new season.

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Monday’s signing will significantly reduce the noise around one of the more prominent outstanding contract situations at the Etihad Stadium this summer, providing Maresca with the certainty that one of his best defenders is firmly committed to the club’s project for the foreseeable future.

Gvardiol’s extension also arrives in the context of ongoing uncertainty around other members of the defensive unit, with questions around the futures of several players in that department yet to be resolved as the window continues and pre-season preparations gather pace.

The confirmation of his new deal, coming alongside Foden’s renewal and the British record arrival of Elliot Anderson , builds a picture of a club moving with real purpose and clarity in securing its foundations for the next era – even as several other significant pieces of summer business remain ongoing at the Etihad Stadium.

Whether further contract renewals for key squad members follow in the coming weeks will be watched closely by supporters, but for now, Monday’s signing represents one of the more straightforward and universally welcomed pieces of news of the entire summer window.

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