Story byReport: Pep Guardiola wants Man City to agree deal with defenderEPL IndexSun, December 21, 2025 at 5:50 PM UTC·3 min readGuardiola Pushes Manchester City Contract Priority as Defensive Planning AcceleratesManchester City’s squad planning rarely stands still and a new report from TeamTalk highlights how Pep Guardiola is already shaping the club’s next defensive chapter. With attention often focused on marquee centre backs across the Premier League, the Catalan coach appears determined to secure the long term future of a player who has quietly become indispensable. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJosko Gvardiol may not dominate the weekly debates in the same way as Virgil van Dijk or Arsenal’s centre back pairing, but within City’s technical structure his value is increasingly clear. At just 23, the Croatian has settled into his favoured central role alongside Ruben Dias and delivered performances described internally as “exemplary”. Gvardiol Standing Among Elite Premier League DefendersThe Premier League boasts an exceptional generation of central defenders.