Manchester City have already put improved terms on the table for Joško Gvardiol, and that has turned his future into a straight contract battle rather than a simple transfer story. Real Madrid’s interest is described as concrete, while Barcelona have also presented a contract offer. Gvardiol is still under contract at City until 2028, so the club are trying to act before this becomes a longer problem.

Why City are moving now

The detail that matters most is the current deal. Gvardiol is tied to City until 2028, which is why renewed terms are already on the table. One report says the club’s offer would take him beyond 2028, while others go further and put the extension at 2031 or 2032. The only safe read is that City want a longer stay and are not waiting around.

That urgency makes sense. Gvardiol has already made 122 senior appearances for City and scored 11 goals from defence. He is being treated as more than a squad option, especially because he can play both centre-back and left-back. City paid €90m to sign him from RB Leipzig in August 2023, so they are also dealing with a player they clearly value highly.

Why the outside interest is real

The challenge for City is that the interest is not just noise. Sky Sports Germany said Gvardiol will decide between a City extension beyond 2028 and a move to Real Madrid this summer, adding that Real's interest is concrete and that City are pushing to keep him. Florian Plettenberg put it in similar terms, saying the player is weighing a long-term stay at City against a move to the Santiago Bernabéu.

Barcelona have complicated the picture as well. They have also presented a contract offer, which means City are not only fighting off one heavyweight. The scale of the interest tells you how highly Gvardiol is rated, and why this is more about retention than recruitment. If City get this wrong, they are opening the door to two of Europe’s biggest buyers at once.

Compiled by the ClutchBrief Desk with AI assistance, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →