How Gvardiol’s incredible rise saw him land at Man City

RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol has had an incredible eight months. The Croatia international starred at the 2022 World Cup and, at the tender age of 21, has now become the world’s second most expensive defender after signing for Manchester City for €90 million (£77.5m/$99m). But how did he get here?

Gvardiol spent his early years on the rough concrete pitches of Zagreb and initially played for local side Tresnjevka before making the move to giants Dinamo Zagreb at the age of eight. There, he rose steadily through the youth ranks, showcasing a level of maturity beyond his years and was moved from midfield into defence.

“Seeing him at 17, it was unbelievable how good he was, both mentally and physically,” Zeljko Kopic, the former academy director and first-team manager at Dinamo, told Goal.

After impressing in the UEFA Youth League, Gvardiol was handed his senior team debut in 2019. As a left-footed centre-back, his play was typified by his comfort on the ball and ability to break up play with robust tackles. Such was his maturity that Dinamo coaches eschewed the traditional option of sending him out on loan — as they had previously done with other academy standouts.

“Except maybe [Mateo] Kovacic, I can’t remember the player who had a more unanimous decision than Josko,” Zoran Mamic, who managed Dinamo across two stints, told ESPN. “Even [Luka] Modric had to go out on loan before getting his chance. With Josko, no one said he should go on loan. Only Kovacic and him, aged 16, they were ready for the first team.”