‘Croatian CB’ is next for Japan’s top winger!…Man City interested in Mitoma as Mahrez replacement→”Up to 83 billion to be demanded”

After finalizing the signing of Josuco Gvardiol, Manchester City will now look to Kaoru Mitoma to bolster their forward line.

“We are delighted to confirm the signing of Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig,” the club announced on its official website on Friday.

온라인바카라Gvardiol, a young defender born in 2002, is already a top performer for the Croatian national team and RB Leipzig, where he is a first-choice defender. His performances in Europe’s top five leagues and the Champions League have already shown that he has the quality to become a world-class player.

Last year, he shined at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, helping Croatia reach the quarterfinals. He gained even more attention for his performance while wearing a mask. Throughout the tournament, aside from struggling against Lionel Messi, he was a solid defender, shutting down some of the best strikers in the world.

The addition of Gervinho will give City a more solid defense than they had when they won the treble in 2022/23. City won the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League last season in dominant fashion, and the addition of Gervinho will give them an even stronger defense.

Gervinho’s move to City also comes with a hefty transfer fee. According to The Athletic, City paid a whopping £77.6 million for Gervinho. However, the record for the most expensive transfer for a defender was set by Harry Maguire in the summer of 2018 when he moved from Leicester City to Manchester United for £80 million (approximately KRW 13.3 billion).

Now, reports have emerged that City are not only looking to bolster their defense with the signing of Gervinho, but are also planning to add a new addition to their attacking line.

“City are ready to sign Mitoma after signing Gervinho,” the Sun reported on June 6 (KST).

“Pep Guardiola will move for Mitoma after signing Gervinho. Brighton’s Mitoma is on City’s radar. He has two years left on his current deal with the Seagulls, but the club are keen to tie him down for longer. However, Mitoma has already attracted interest from Arsenal and Chelsea.”

The media outlet explained that the reason for City’s interest in Mitoma is the transfer of Riyad Mahrez. On March 28, Manchester City announced on the club’s official website that “Mahrez is moving to Al Ahli. In five seasons with the club since 2018, he has become an integral part of Pep Guardiola’s squad with 78 goals and 59 assists in 236 games, winning 11 major trophies. His final season was highlighted by a treble.”

With 78 goals and 59 assists in 236 games for City, Mahrez has built a reputation as one of the best players in Pep Guardiola’s reign. However, after winning the treble last season, he decided to part ways with the club and a move to Altrincham seemed to be a foregone conclusion.

The Sun added: “Guardiola is keen to bring in a new winger after Mahrez’s move to Altrincham. He is a big fan of Mitoma and praised him on the Man City tour.”

In fact, Guardiola made waves when he spoke about Mitoma in a press conference ahead of the club’s preseason match against Yokohama F.Marinos, saying, “The impact he has had on the Premier League has been huge.”

Despite last season being his debut season in the Premier League, Mitoma scored seven goals and five assists in 33 league appearances and 10 goals and seven assists in 41 official games, including cup competitions. He has established himself as a regular in the first team after excelling in a short amount of playing time at the start of the season.

As for Mitoma’s transfer fee, the outlet explained, “Brighton could be looking at a fee of up to £50 million given his immediate impact on the Premier League.”

Meanwhile, The Sun emphasized that if Man City were to sign Mitoma, it could be bad news for Chelsea.

“Chelsea continue to pursue Moises Kayseredo, while Brighton have also rejected a £90 million bid. Man City’s interest in Mitoma could dash Chelsea’s hopes. Brighton are unlikely to let both players leave the club,” he said, adding that Brighton could keep Kaysedo if City sign Mitoma.

With City looking to bolster their squad ahead of the start of the season, it will be interesting to see how Mitoma’s departure affects the club’s strength going forward, as well as the transfer market behavior of other teams.

Photo via AFP, EPA, Reuters/Yonhap, Twitter, Al Ahli Official Social Media, Man City Official Social Media