Gvardiol close to a new contract with Manchester City: City want to close the story before the race becomes even more complicated
Joško Gvardiol is expected to stay at Manchester City and sign a new long-term contract that would end weeks of speculation about a possible departure from the Etihad. According to the latest information reported on June 15, 2026, by media outlets specializing in football transfers, the English club is convinced that an agreement with the Croatian international is very close to completion. It is stated that the new contract should run at least until the summer of 2031, while some reports also mention the possibility of an extension until 2032. In both cases, it would be a significant extension compared with the current contract, which, according to available data, ties Gvardiol to Manchester City until June 30, 2028.
Such an outcome would be an important signal from the club at a time when Gvardiol's name has been linked with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern. According to reports from Germany and Spain, Manchester City do not want to open the door to serious negotiations over the sale of a player they regard as one of the foundations of their defence for the coming seasons. The new contract, if officially confirmed, would bring Gvardiol improved financial terms and a status more in line with the role he has earned since arriving from RB Leipzig. At the time of writing, the club has not issued official confirmation of the new contract, so the information must still be viewed as an advanced stage of negotiations, not as a completed legal deal.
The agreement is reportedly awaiting final approval
According to posts citing Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City believe that the new contract with Gvardiol is almost agreed and that only the final green light is awaited. Those reports state that the contract should run until June 2031 and include a better salary, which would be logical given that the Croatian defender has meanwhile become one of the more important players in the rotation. Another transfer overview, also citing Romano, mentions a contract until June 2032, showing that different versions of the length of the new arrangement are still appearing in the media space. The common denominator of all these reports is that City want to lock down the player for the long term and reduce the possibility of one of the bigger transfer sagas of the summer developing around him.
German journalist Florian Plettenberg, whose claims were carried by international football portals, reported that City had offered Gvardiol improved terms and a contract until 2031. According to the same claims, Bayern were practically out of the race at that stage, while Real Madrid remained the most concrete potential challenger to City's plans. Such wording indicates that the club was not only rewarding the player, but also making a preventive move. In the modern transfer market, extending a contract is often both a sporting and a strategic decision: with it, a club protects the player's value, confirms his importance and sends a message that a sale is not planned.
Croatian media had earlier written that City were preparing a substantially more generous contract for Gvardiol, with longer versions of a stay at the Etihad also being mentioned. Sportske novosti stated that the current contract runs until 2028 and that the club's management does not want to enter a period of uncertainty around one of the most valuable defensive players. Such reports fit well into the broader pattern of behaviour by major clubs, which try to tie down key players before they enter the final two years of their contracts. The shorter the contract, the greater the pressure from interested clubs and the weaker the negotiating position of the parent club.
Real Madrid and Barcelona are monitoring the situation, Bayern have moved away
The most serious name linked with Gvardiol in recent days has been Real Madrid. Spain's AS wrote that Gvardiol fits the profile of player the Madrid club is looking for: a left-footed defender who can play as a centre-back, but also cover the left side of defence. Marca also stated that the Croatian international is one of the names on Madrid's radar, with the claim that his possible departure from Manchester City is being viewed in the context of a summer reconstruction of the defence. According to summaries of reports carried by portals focused on Real Madrid, the Spanish club's interest was concrete, but City responded to it with a new offer for an extension.
Barcelona were mentioned as the second Spanish giant monitoring the situation, but the available reports suggest that their chances are lower than Real's. The portal Barca Blaugranes, citing information from the transfer market, stated that Gvardiol is now expected to move in the direction of staying at City, which would close one of the options for strengthening the defence for Barcelona. Such claims should be treated with caution because, during transfer windows, clubs' interests often overlap with tactical messages, agents and negotiating pressure. Still, the fact that Gvardiol's name appeared alongside Real Madrid and Barcelona at the same time confirms that he is perceived on the market as a player of the highest category.
Bayern Munich were also mentioned in the context of a possible return for Gvardiol to Germany, where he played for RB Leipzig before moving to the Premier League. However, according to reports by the portal Bavarian Football Works, Bayern remained in the background in the later stage of the story, partly because of the financial demands of the deal and partly because of the assessment that City and Real Madrid were in much stronger positions. The Bavarian club had already shown interest in Gvardiol earlier, especially during the period when he was in the Bundesliga, but City were faster and more concrete at the time. Now the situation is repeating itself in different circumstances: Bayern can follow the development of events, but without a clear signal from the player and without City's consent, it is difficult to imagine a realistic transfer path.
Why Gvardiol is so important to City
Manchester City brought in Gvardiol from RB Leipzig on August 5, 2023, and officially announced at the time that he had signed a five-year contract. The Premier League stated in its transfer report that the Croatian defender had arrived as City's second signing of that summer, after Mateo Kovačić. Gvardiol was 21 years old at the time, but he already carried the reputation of one of the most sought-after young defenders in Europe. His profile was especially valuable for a team that wants to build attacks from the back line, because he combines physical strength, pace, left-footed play and the ability to cover several defensive roles.
The official Premier League profile lists him as a Manchester City defender, while Transfermarkt states that his primary position is centre-back and his secondary position left-back. It is precisely that dual usability that is one of the main reasons why his name is attractive to the biggest clubs. In Manchester City's system, such a player can build play from the middle of defence, stretch the pitch on the left side, move inside during the possession phase and at the same time cover the space behind a high defensive line. For clubs such as Real or Barcelona, the same profile has similar value, because modern full-backs and centre-backs are no longer strictly separate roles but parts of a flexible structure.
Gvardiol has gradually become more than an expensive signing at City. In the first phase, he had to adapt to the intensity of the Premier League, the rhythm of matches and the demands of a team that asks much more from defenders than classic stopping of attacks. In such an environment, mistakes are visible, but progress also comes quickly, especially for a player who has technical security and tactical discipline. City's insistence on a new contract is therefore not a surprise. The club does not want to lose a player who has not yet entered the most mature years of his career and who already has experience of the highest level of European and international football.
The contract as a message to the market and the dressing room
Extending Gvardiol's contract would carry several layers of meaning. The first is sporting: City would keep a defender who can be a pillar of the back line in a period in which teams regularly face congested schedules, injuries and the need for rotation. The second is financial: the new contract protects the club's investment and raises the price of any future attempt to buy him. The third is communicational: the club would thereby send a clear message that it does not intend to allow its most important players to enter uncertain transfer stories without a strong response.
Such a message is particularly important in the period before the new season, when many major clubs position themselves in the market and test the availability of players. If Gvardiol signs a contract until 2031 or 2032, any interest from Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern would not disappear forever, but the starting position of all parties would change significantly. City could negotiate only if they themselves judged that the offer was exceptional, while the player would receive security, a better salary and confirmation of his status. In practice, the new contract would probably mean that a transfer this summer is very unlikely, unless an unexpected twist occurs.
For Gvardiol, the signature would also be a personal confirmation of the path he has taken from Dinamo, Leipzig and the Croatian national team to one of the most demanding teams in Europe. The Croatian Football Federation describes him as a generational talent and a defender of the future for the Croatian national team, and his career so far has developed faster than the usual rhythm for players in his position. Defenders often reach their peak later than forwards, because experience, reading the game and decision-making carry great weight. Gvardiol will turn 25 in January 2027, which means the new contract would cover the period in which he should be entering the best years of his career.
There is still no official confirmation, but the direction is clear
Despite numerous reports, it is crucial to emphasize that Manchester City had not officially announced the signing of a new contract at the time of writing. Official confirmation is important because, in transfer business, details can change right up to the end, especially when clubs such as Real, Barcelona and Bayern are being mentioned at the same time. According to the available information, however, the direction of the negotiations is towards continuing the cooperation, not towards a separation. City are reportedly ready to reward Gvardiol and tie him to the club for the long term, while interested clubs remain for now in the role of observers or potential candidates if the negotiations unexpectedly stall.
For Manchester City, such an outcome would be one of the more important moves before the start of the new season. Keeping Gvardiol would reduce the need for an expensive entry into the defenders' market and enable continuity in the part of the team that is crucial for the stability of the entire system. For the player, it would mean continuing his development in an environment that already knows him and in which he has a clear role. For the Croatian national team, meanwhile, it is good that one of its most important defensive players remains in a competitive rhythm at the highest level, without prolonged uncertainty about his future.
If the announcements are confirmed by an official signature, Gvardiol will end speculation about a departure and enter the next seasons as one of Manchester City's long-term pillars. City would thereby stop the attempts of the competition before they turned into a concrete bidding war, while Gvardiol would receive a contract that matches his market and sporting value. Until the official announcement, caution remains, but the available reports increasingly point to the same conclusion: the Croatian defender is closer to staying in Manchester than to a summer transfer.
Sources:
- Manchester City FC – official announcement of Joško Gvardiol's arrival from RB Leipzig and the length of his first contract with the club (link)
- Premier League – official player profile and basic information on Gvardiol as a Manchester City defender (link)
- Sportske novosti / Jutarnji list – report on City's intention to offer Gvardiol a significantly better long-term contract (link)
- Yahoo Sports / City Xtra – report on Florian Plettenberg's claims that City are offering a contract until 2031 with improved terms (link)
- Bavarian Football Works – reports on Bayern's interest, Real Madrid and City's optimism around the contract extension (link)
- AS – Spanish report on Real Madrid's interest and the profile of player the Madrid club is looking for in defence (link)
- Marca – report that Gvardiol is among the names being linked with Real Madrid and Barcelona (link)
- Transfermarkt – data on position, age, club and the expiry of his current contract on June 30, 2028 (link)
- Croatian Football Federation – text on Gvardiol as one of the key players of the new generation of the Croatian national team (link)