Some contract sagas feel like they’re heading for a dramatic conclusion.
Real Madrid pushing.
Yet, involving player whose deal was running down and whose head could have been turned at any moment.
But Manchester City have held firm.
And now, they appear to be winning.
Josko Gvardiol set to sign new five-year Manchester City deal despite weeks of Real Madrid pursuit
According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City are now confident of securing a new contract for Gvardiol until 2031, with an improved salary package on the table and the club waiting for the final green light from the player.
The word used internally is “optimistic.”
And that optimism has arrived despite weeks of sustained interest from Real Madrid, who had identified Gvardiol as Jose Mourinho’s preferred defensive signing.
It appears that campaign has fallen short.
The detail in Romano’s update is significant.
City aren’t just close to a deal, they’re waiting for the final green light.
That language suggests a player who has engaged with the contract discussions seriously and has reached a point where the decision is very nearly made.
For Real Madrid, the pursuit of Gvardiol has been one of the summer’s most persistent storylines.
The 24-year-old joined Manchester City from RB Leipzig for £77.6 million in 2023.
And quickly established himself as one of the most versatile and reliable defenders in the Premier League.
A fractured leg in January disrupted his season and briefly raised questions about his availability at the World Cup with Croatia.
But his recovery has been strong.
And with a new five-year deal now closing in, the next phase of his career looks set to be spent at the Etihad under Enzo Maresca.
For City, retaining Gvardiol amid this level of external pressure represents a significant statement.
A summer already complicated by the departures of Pep Guardiola, Bernardo Silva and John Stones needed some good news.
This is it.
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