Manchester City hold initial talks to sign £90 million-rated Chelsea target - Reports
Manchester City have opened talks with RB Leipzig over the signing of Josko Gvardiol, who has also been linked with Chelsea, according to Football Insider.
The Cityzens have bagged the Premier League and FA Cup and are one win away from the continental treble. They will be keen to end their long wait to win the UEFA Champions League when they face Inter Milan in the final in Istanbul on Saturday (June 10).
Manchester City, meanwhile, also have one eye on next season, with efforts to strengthen their squad in full swing. The English champions could cough up a significant amount of money to sign a new central defender after Aymeric Laporte cast doubt on his future at the club.
Laporte, whose contract runs till 2025, has started only 20 games across competitions for the Cityzens this season. The Spaniard wants to play more regularly and subsequently seek a move away from the club this summer.
Should Laporte force an exit, City appear to have already drawn up a replacement plan. It emerged earlier this week that Pep Guardiola's side are set to intensify their efforts to sign Leipzig defender Gvardiol.
The Manchester giants have begun talks with the Bundesliga club over a deal for the Croatian, according to the aforementioned source. Gvardiol has been identified as the treble-chasing Cityzens' top target for the summer.
Chelsea were reportedly close to signing Gvardiol last summer but could not strike a deal with Leipzig. The Blues remain interested in the 21-year-old's services, according to 90min.
However, Chelsea might be forced to end their interest in Gvardiol, as the Cityzens are reportedly confident of reaching an agreement with Leipzig. The defender has a £100 million release clause in his contract, but the Bundesliga club could sell him for a figure closer to £90 million.
Chelsea's Mateo Kovacic agrees personal terms with Manchester City
Chelsea need to sell players to balance their books after spending over £600 million across the last two transfer windows. Mateo Kovacic, who's set to enter the final year of his contract, is among the players they're willing to sell to raise funds.
Manchester City are widely reported to be interested in signing Kovacic amidst uncertainty about Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva's future at the club. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Cityzens have agreed personal terms with the midfielder. The Croatia international has given his green light to the move.
Guardiola's side are now expected to build on their interest in Kovacic after the Champions League final. Having agreed personal terms with the former Real Madrid man, they will turn their attention towards agreeing a fee with Chelsea.
The Premier League champions have also been linked with the Blues' Mason Mount. However, the England international is leaning towards a move to Manchester United, as per The Athletic.