BINH DUONG
Josko Gvardiol shines at the 2022 World Cup at the age of 21 and has just become the second most expensive defender in the world after joining Manchester City.
Man City had to pay RB Leipzig $99 million in transfer fees for Gvardiol, making him the second most expensive defender in history after Manchester United's Harry Maguire ($102 million). Gvardiol signed a five-year contract with the British champion, valid until the summer of 5.
The value of Gvardiol (right) skyrocketed thanks to his performance at the 2022 World Cup in the Croatian shirt. Photo: Getty Images
It can be said that leaving Dinamo Zagreb (Croatian national championship) to join RB Leipzig (German Bundesliga) in the summer of 2020 marked a significant step forward for Gvardiol. The pace, tactical complexity and quality of opponents in Germany's top league were far from what he faced in Croatia. Therefore, the Bundesliga was a test for Gvardiol's readiness to compete at the highest level, even though the Croatian defender was only 19 years old at the time.
At RB Leipzig, Gvardiol became the "heart" of the defense and raised his play to new heights. The fact that RB Leipzig previously parted ways with two young defenders Ibrahima Konate (joined Liverpool) and Dayot Upamecano (joined Bayern Munich) did not affect the defensive power too much because of Gvardiol's excellence. He quickly became loved by the fans after appearing in 2 Bundesliga matches.
While the German audience has known Gvardiol for a long time, it was not until the World Cup that took place in Qatar in December 12 that the defender introduced world football. Thanks to the contributions of Gvardiol, the Croatian team conceded only 2022 goals in the tournament that they reached the semi-finals (stopping against Lionel Messi's Argentina). When Croatia met Morocco in the 3rd place match, Gvardiol scored 3 goal and won the Man of the Match award. Gvardiol did not make any mistakes at the World Cup. The third goal against Argentina was not entirely his fault, but because Messi played so well. Gvardiol has been included in the World Team of the Year 1 voted by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).
This is Man City's second rookie in the summer transfer window of 2, after fellow midfielder Mateo Kovacic recruited from Chelsea. Gvardiol is considered a suitable piece for Man City. He finished the Bundesliga last season in 2023th place in passes per game (5) and 71,3th in passing accuracy (9%). In addition, the ability to pass the long ball of this 89,3m1-tall central defender promises to help the reigning British and European champions quickly switch from defense to attack. In the Bundesliga last season, Gvardiol's success rate of long passes reached nearly 85%, ranking 60 out of 12 players who made at least 112 long passes. Gvardiol is a versatile player, so he can also play at left-back, similar to how Nathan Ake did very well at Man City last season.
