World-class Man City signing hits snag over important detail, in boost for Man Utd and Arsenal

A brilliant potential transfer for Manchester City has reportedly been rocked by a ‘sticking point’, representing some good news for title rivals Manchester United and Arsenal.

City have signed one player so far this summer, with Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic arriving from fellow Premier League side Chelsea in a £25million deal. Kovacic, who has agreed a four-year contract with City, will replace Ilkay Gundogan following his free transfer to Barcelona.

City are now getting to work on their second new arrival of the transfer window. They are hoping to unite Kovacic with Croatia team-mate Josko Gvardiol, who currently represents RB Leipzig in Germany.

Chelsea tried to sign the centre-back in August last year, while Liverpool landed on him as their ultimate defensive signing. However, City have breezed past those two Prem competitors to put themselves at the front of the queue for Gvardiol.

On July 2, it emerged that City had reached an agreement on personal terms with Gvardiol.

Fabrizio Romano then gave the transfer his customary ‘here we go’ treatment, claiming there to be a €100m (£86m) agreement in place between City and Leipzig.

However, it seems Romano jumped the gun slightly on this particular deal. Sky Sports soon revealed how City were not as close to landing Gvardiol as previously thought.

German outlet Sport Bild (via Sport Witness), have now provided their information on the defender’s future. They reveal City and Leipzig have come to a ‘sticking point’ in their negotiations.

Man City holding themselves back with ‘unrealistic’ add-ons

Leipzig are continuing to hold out for the £86m fee, which would make Gvardiol the most expensive defender of all time. Although, they are happy for a small portion of this to include ‘realistic bonuses’.

So far though, City have only offered an initial £77m, plus the rest made up in ‘unrealistic bonuses’. While City are not far off, Romano has repeatedly stated that Leipzig will not sell Gvardiol for anything less than £86m. As such, the transfer could soon come under severe threat.

The likes of Arsenal and Man Utd, who will be aiming to challenge City for the Prem title next season, will be delighted if Pep Guardiola’s side miss out on Gvardiol.

His signing would make City even better. At 21 years of age, Gvardiol has established himself as one of the best young defenders in the world, and he has the potential to become a real icon.

Depending on who City appoint as the managerial replacement for Guardiola, they could get worse when the tactician leaves. But by signing top-class players like Gvardiol, the Manchester side would prevent this from happening to some degree.

Meanwhile, an agent has confirmed he is expecting an offer from Liverpool for his client, with City and Barcelona also interested.