- Josko Gvardiol has been a successful signing for Man City after joining from RB Leipzig in 2023
- Croatian played a pivotal role in 2023-24 Premier League winning season
- Man City executives to reward 24-year-old defender with long-term deal and salary hike
Josko Gvardiol is set to receive a major contract renewal offer from executives at the Etihad Stadium, as per a new report.
The 24-year-old has been a resounding success since joining forces with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023, winning the Premier League in his first season in England.
City have undergone a period of transition in the last two seasons but Gvardiol has been Guardiola’s best and most reliable players, playing out of position and exceeding expectations at left-back over the course of a challenging 2024-25 campaign in particular.
Manchester City receive Josko Gvardiol fitness update amid Arsenal title race battle
Gvardiol’s attacking output also made him one of the first names on Guardiola’s teamsheet and he has since passed the baton on to Nico O’Reilly, who has excelled at left-back since the Croatian suffered a tibial fracture on his right leg in January.
Report: Gvardiol in for major pay rise in 2033 contract offer
The defender has been sidelined since his injury and has undergone surgery as he eyes a return to fitness in time to make Croatia’s squad for the FIFA World Cup across the Atlantic.
Now, according to fresh claims, Manchester City have prepared a ‘lucrative’ new contract for Gvardiol, which will hand him a ‘substantial’ pay rise and tie him to the Etihad Stadium until 2033.
Club officials are not anticipating any issues with the process to extend Gvardiol’s agreement, as per the report, and expect the contract to be signed off as early as this coming summer.
Gvardiol’s current deal at Manchester City runs till 2028 and after agreeing new contracts with O’Reilly, Rico Lewis, Savinho, Ruben Dias and Marcus Bettinelli already this season, director of football Hugo Viana is keen to hold on to another of Guardiola’s best players in recent years.
Will Gvardiol play for Man City again this season?
It remains to be seen whether Gvardiol will return to full first-team training in time to play a part in Manchester City’s final month of the season as the Blues pursue a domestic treble.
Josko Gvardiol set to take major step forward in Manchester City injury recovery ‘in 10 days’
City have already lifted the Carabao Cup in March – their first trophy in two seasons – and set up an FA Cup final tie with Chelsea at Wembley for 16 May – as they also go head-to-head with Arsenal for the Premier League title.
With Dias nursing a hamstring injury, City have benefitted from January signing Marc Guehi and Abdukodir Khusanov forging a strong partnership in defence – with little pressure on Gvardiol to return anytime soon and play a part in the run-in.
John Stones has also returned to fitness and played 90 minutes alongside Nathan Ake in City’s FA Cup semi-final win over Southampton at Wembley last week. As Dias also nears a return to fitness, Guardiola and his coaching staff will be very patient with Gvardiol to ensure the Croatian is fit and firing for the 2026-27 campaign.
