RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol has had an unbelievable eight months. The Croatia worldwide starred on the 2022 World Cup and, on the tender age of 21, has now turn out to be the world’s second costliest defender after signing for Manchester Metropolis for €90 million (£77.5m/$99m). However how did he get right here?
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How did he begin his profession?
Gvardiol spent his early years on the tough concrete pitches of Zagreb and initially performed for native aspect Tresnjevka earlier than making the transfer to giants Dinamo Zagreb on the age of eight. There, he rose steadily by the youth ranks, showcasing a stage of maturity past his years and was moved from midfield into defence.
“Seeing him at 17, it was unbelievable how good he was, each mentally and bodily,” Zeljko Kopic, the previous academy director and first-team supervisor at Dinamo, instructed Goal.
After impressing within the UEFA Youth League, Gvardiol was handed his senior crew debut in 2019. As a left-footed centre-back, his play was typified by his consolation on the ball and skill to interrupt up play with sturdy tackles. Such was his maturity that Dinamo coaches eschewed the standard choice of sending him out on mortgage — as that they had beforehand performed with different academy standouts.
“Besides perhaps [Mateo] Kovacic, I can not bear in mind the participant who had a extra unanimous determination than Josko,” Zoran Mamic, who managed Dinamo throughout two stints, instructed ESPN. “Even [Luka] Modric needed to exit on mortgage earlier than getting his likelihood. With Josko, nobody mentioned he ought to go on mortgage. Solely Kovacic and him, aged 16, they had been prepared for the primary crew.”
Progress at Leipzig
Gvardiol rapidly outgrew his environment. In September 2020, and amid curiosity from Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United, it was introduced that he would switch to RB Leipzig on the finish of that season for a price of €16m, remaining on mortgage at Dinamo till then. The Bundesliga outfit had made a reputation for itself as a haven for burgeoning expertise, one thing the participant and his representatives had been acutely conscious.
Damir Krznar, former Dinamo Zagreb academy director and now head coach at Maribor, recounted a dialog he had with Gvardiol previous to the switch. “He additionally had a proposal from England and presently it was a divide,” he instructed Sky Sports. “What is healthier? To go to England or Leipzig? After I spoke with him, he mentioned ‘I selected Leipzig simply because I believe it is that mid-step I must make to go to England, to go to the most effective league on the earth’.”
The transfer to Leipzig represented a major step up. The tempo of the Bundesliga, the sophistication of the ways and the standard of the opposition, had been all a number of notches above what he’d encountered within the Croatian top-flight. It was a take a look at of Gvardiol’s readiness to compete on the highest stage, regardless of nonetheless being solely 19.
However compete he did. After settling in, Gvardiol quickly discovered his ft within the coronary heart of Leipzig’s defence and took his recreation to a complete new stage. His performances showcased a participant unafraid to impose himself, not simply bodily but additionally as a pacesetter on the pitch. He rapidly emerged as a followers’ favorite, taking part in 29 instances within the Bundesliga that season and guaranteeing that the lack of younger defenders Ibrahima Konate (€41.5m to Liverpool) and Dayot Upamecano (€42.5m to Bayern Munich) the earlier summer time was not felt so badly.
A World Cup to recollect
But whereas common viewers of the Bundesliga rapidly grew to become conversant in Gvardiol’s skills, it wasn’t till the 2022 World Cup that the defender introduced himself on the world stage. Taking part in for a Croatia aspect that many regarded to be previous their peak, and with their talismanic captain Luka Modric aged 37, few tipped the Vatreni to make a deep run in Qatar. And but, with the assistance of Gvardiol, Croatia conceded solely three targets of their run to the semifinals.
Finally the genius of Lionel Messi propelled eventual champions Argentina to a 3-0 win in opposition to Croatia in that recreation — making Gvardiol look a little foolish at one level — however the 21-year-old ended the match as considered one of its breakout stars, rounding it off with a goal and Man of the Match award in a 2-1 win over Morocco within the third-place playoff.
“I anticipated one thing like this,” Krznar instructed Sky Sports. “He performed with none errors [at the World Cup]. There was a mistake, perhaps, in opposition to Messi for the third objective in opposition to Argentina … however this isn’t a mistake, that is Messi!”
Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic mentioned throughout the match: “Gvardiol is the most effective central defender on the earth. He is so mature. The best way he performs, with the grace he controls the ball — it is wonderful.”
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Marcotti: Gvardiol might be higher than Dias for Man Metropolis
Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens focus on Josko Gvardiol’s potential switch to Man Metropolis from RB Leipzig.
Premier League dream
With such expertise, it is no shock that each prime membership in Europe has been following his progress in recent times. Openly keen on a move to the Premier League, the defender has additionally spoken about his Liverpool-supporting father, Tihomir, and the way he idolised Actual Madrid legend Sergio Ramos, in addition to Messi. So when Chelsea made a reported €97.5m provide in 2022, it appeared a formality that he would be part of them.
“I used to be actually confused as a result of one month earlier than the window begins I used to be upstairs with the [Leipzig] sporting director and he says, ‘Yeah Josko, we’re not going to promote you, we’d like you, we imagine in you,’ and I used to be like okay I’m fantastic with this, I can keep right here, I prefer it right here, all I want is to work on myself, to play, to win one thing else,” he instructed The Times.
“It was like this till the final two days. My agent referred to as me and mentioned that Chelsea is extraordinarily and, in fact, you undoubtedly take into consideration a critical provide from an enormous membership like Chelsea. Leipzig mentioned they did not wish to promote me. In the long run, I actually struggled with that call however we did not make an settlement.”
Now, although, Metropolis have made his dream right into a actuality.
What does he must work on?
At simply 21, Gvardiol is much from the completed product, in fact. But he appears to encapsulate the essence of recent defending, combining throwback tenacity and bodily energy with technical talent. Within the opinion of Mamic, he is a “completely trendy centre-back.”
His former youth coach for Croatia, Tomislav Rukavina, told Goal back in 2021: “His large self-confidence, sturdy management traits and braveness all remind me of Thiago Silva.”
And, in an identical vein to Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk earlier than him, it may be onerous to pin-point a obtrusive weak point, as he is additionally quick, “so even when he makes a mistake, he could make it again”, Mamic provides. His physicality even makes up for any lack of top at 6-foot-1, along with his vertical leap — which he showcased along with his objective in opposition to Metropolis within the Champions League in February — a sight to behold.
Will he match at Metropolis?
Gvardiol appears to be properly suited to Pep Guardiola’s aspect, having completed the 2022-23 Bundesliga marketing campaign fifth in passes per recreation (71.3) and with the ninth-best go success price (89.3%).
As well as, his potential to select a go from distance ought to assist Metropolis rapidly transition from defence to assault, with the teen returning a long-ball success price of 59.7% final season, rating twelfth of the 112 Bundesliga gamers to have tried 100 or extra.
Alongside his apparent attributes, Gvardiol can be versatile and able to deputising at left-back in a lot the identical approach that Nathan Ake did for Metropolis throughout the 2022-23 marketing campaign. His new-found standing because the world’s costliest defender will not come as a lot of a shock to those that have tracked his profession from the very starting, however he can solely enhance underneath Guardiola and taking part in for among the best groups in Europe. The sky actually is the restrict.
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