Real Madrid interest in a Manchester City star who they have a ‘long-standing desire’ to land has emerged in his homeland, though TEAMtalk can reveal how and why the Cityzens plan to block any such deal going through.
City slipped up in their quest to win the Premier League title this season, as they dropped two points against Everton in a 3-3 draw on Monday night. It means if they win their next game in hand over leaders Arsenal, they’ll still be two points behind.
The Cityzens were largely at full strength, but have been missing Josko Gvardiol since early January.
While he’s missed half of the season, he’s still a big talking point, as Croatian outlet Sportske Novosti reports he’s on the shortlist of ‘almost all elite clubs’ but it’s Real who ‘stands out.’
The club are said to have a ‘long-standing desire’ to land Gvardiol, which was helped by a reference from fellow Croat Luka Modric during his time there.
Now, Real are said to be ‘crying out’ to strengthen in defence, which makes interest in the City man all the more relevant.
Indeed, Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba are both in their 30s and it’s felt Gvardiol would be a great addition to move on from them.
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City want to keep Gvardiol
The report states, though, that City want to keep Gvardiol, and are said to have prepared a new contract worth ‘significantly more’ than his current one, and which would see him remain at the Etihad until at least 2033.
That follows on from information received by TEAMtalk from sources in late 2025.
We learned that Pep Guardiola was driving City towards an agreement with Gvardiol.
City were at the time determined to ensure the Croatian remained a key part of the club’s long-term plans and were aiming for him to sign a new contract this season.
If the fresh report is to be believed, that new contract could be coming, despite interest from Real.