Josko Gvardiol sends message to Manchester City board amid centre-half exit speculation | OneFootball

Josko Gvardiol has heaped praise upon Manchester City’s young centre-back pair Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis, who have added significant depth to Pep Guardiola’s defence.

Reis and Khusanov were signed as emergency additions to a depleted squad midway through the 2024-25 campaign as injuries ravaged Manchester City’s backline and left Guardiola in great peril amidst his most challenging season as a manager.

Gvardiol, signed from RB Leipzig from 2023, was crowned Manchester City’s Player of the Season last term and after a successful debut campaign at the Etihad Stadium, the 23-year-old Croatian saw the steady ship stewarded by Guardiola for long threaten to sink last season.

Manchester City failed to win a fifth consecutive Premier League title as they secured a meagre third-place finish with 71 points on the board, with a Round of 16 finish in the UEFA Champions League and a disappointing FA Cup final loss to Crystal Palace.

However, City have sent a strong message to their domestic and European rivals in the transfer market since January, having added eight new players to their ranks for just under £300 million to challenge on all fronts next season.

Gvardiol’s versatility saw the centre-half play at left-back for much of the 2024-25 season and whilst the Croatian was finally moved into centre-back to partner Dias in the closing stages of the campaign, competition for places is tough in central defence for the Sky Blues.

Khusanov and Reis are set to be part of Guardiola’s squad for the upcoming campaign and the centre-half pair – who are 21 and 19 years of age respectively – have injected a much-needed breath of fresh blood into Manchester City’s ageing ranks.

So much so that Gvardiol, who only joined Manchester City two years ago and is still fairly young, feels like a senior player – reflective of the responsibility he has had to shoulder at left-back and centre-back since his arrival from Germany.

“I’m getting old! I can’t believe I’m 23 but it’s nice to see these new guys (Khusanov and Reis), young guys in the team. When I look at them I feel much older,” Gvardiol said in an interview with the club’s in-house media channels prior to Manchester City’s FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 loss to Al-Hilal earlier this week.

“I’m available for them (Khusanov and Reis), to help them as the other ones helped me when I was younger. And I’m happy to have them in the team.

‘They (Khusanov and Reis) are doing good, obviously they’re are all young but I think a big future is ahead for them.”

Gvardiol is likely to witness a departure or two from Manchester City’s bloated centre-half cohort between now and the beginning of the 2025-26 Premier League campaign in August, with John Stones entering the final year of his contract.