Real Madrid drop pursuit of Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol

Real Madrid have ended their pursuit of Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol after the Croatian signed a new five‑year contract with City, keeping him in the Premier League until 2031. Josko Gvardiol, 24, was one of Jose Mourinho’s requests to Los Blancos earlier this season. The defender had been considering his future at Manchester City following the exit of Pep Guardiola. Barcelona also showed interest in Gvardiol in recent months, despite doubts about their ability to complete a deal. Reports claimed that Real Madrid had been offered Gvardiol and that he was delaying a new City deal while weighing a move to the Spanish capital. Mourinho praised Gvardiol’s ability to play both left‑back and centre‑back and highlighted his physicality. Fabrizio Romano later announced that Gvardiol will sign a five‑year contract, confirming his stay at the Etihad.

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Sport reported that the new deal will likely be the final nail in any Real Madrid pursuit. Gvardiol had two years remaining on his previous contract and was bought for €90 million. Michael Regan’s photograph of Gvardiol signing the contract was distributed via Getty Images.

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With Gvardiol’s decision, Real Madrid are reportedly focusing on three alternative centre‑back targets. Riccardo Calafiori was mentioned among the names, although recent links have cooled. Alessandro Bastoni, Nico Schlotterbeck and Manchester City teammate Ruben Dias remain under discussion as potential options.