Newcastle have completed the signing of Southampton defender Tino Livramento for an undisclosed fee.

The England Under-21 international has agreed a five-year deal with the Magpies after the two clubs agreed a reported fee which could rise to around £35million.

Livramento told the club’s official website: “I’m really excited to have signed for Newcastle United and I’m looking forward to playing in front of the fans.

“I was here for the games over the weekend; even though they were friendlies, there were so many fans and they were still so loud so I can’t wait to see what it feels like to play in front of them in a Premier League or Champions League game.

“The way the manager plays football is really attractive and I feel like it suits me as a player. And with how well the team did last season, the trajectory that we’re on now, I’m just looking forward to being a part of that.”

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has now added three new players to his squad this summer following the arrivals of Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali from AC Milan and winger Harvey Barnes from Leicester.

Livramento, 20, who signed a five-year deal when he joined Southampton from Chelsea for £5m in August 2021, missed all but the final two games last season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in April 2022.

He returned to action in May, making two substitute appearances in Southampton’s final two Premier League games before they were relegated.

Newcastle will play Champions League football next season after finishing fourth in Howe’s first full campaign in charge.

Howe added: “Tino is a very talented young player with an exciting future ahead of him so we are delighted to sign him.

“At 20, he already has lots of attributes that I admire but he also has the potential and drive to really grow with this team. I’m looking forward to working with him and to seeing him develop in a Newcastle shirt.”

Roy Keane has made an official Manchester United appearance for the first time in 18 years as he launched the club’s 2023-24 third kit.

The former captain’s successful stay at Old Trafford memorably ended in 2005 after an explosive interview with the in-house TV channel MUTV, in which he criticised his team-mates.

Keane has been back to the club many times over the years as a pundit, but his involvement in the promotional video for their third strip is the first in a formal capacity.

The Irishman is seen in the video asking the current crop of players whether they have what it takes to be a true red devil – reference to the return of the fan favourite red devil emblem on the jersey.

“So you’re a devil are you? Well let’s remind you of the terms,” Keane says. “The devil isn’t something you wear. It’s more like a pact, a deal, shall we say.

“It’s not for everyone. We expect a lot. And as sure as the sun will rise, we will know if you mean it. So have a good long think.

“What do you get in return? What’s on offer? It’s Manchester United.

“So there it is. No small print. Sign on the dotted line. But you already signed, didn’t you? Before you were even born.”

Keane ends the sequence sitting at a table in front a plate of prawn sandwiches – a nod to his famous “prawn sandwich brigade” comment, criticising a section of the Old Trafford support.

West Ham have made an improved £30million bid for Manchester United and England centre-back Harry Maguire, the PA news agency understands.

The Hammers have been linked with Maguire throughout the summer but a previous £20million offer was rejected.

Maguire, 30, fell down the pecking order at Old Trafford last season and was recently replaced as captain by manager Erik ten Hag.

United, however, have always maintained that Maguire remains an important member of their squad and would be happy for him to stay and fight for his place.

Maguire, who joined United for £80million in 2019, faces competition from Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof for a spot in the side.

West Ham, meanwhile, have also been linked with a move for Maguire’s United team-mate Scott McTominay.

Liverpool continue to be frustrated in their pursuit of Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia after having a third bid rejected by the Championship side.

After their initial two offers of £34million plus £4m and £42m were turned down, the Reds returned with a proposal worth £46m but that too has been rejected, the PA news agency understands.

Saints are understood to be looking for £50m for a player who has made just 29 Premier League appearances in one top-flight season.

Negotiations are expected to continue between the two sides.

Mohamed Salah’s agent, meanwhile, has dismissed speculation linking the forward with a move to Saudi Arabia as the 31-year-old “remains committed” to the club.

A report in the Middle East claimed talks were taking place between the Egypt international’s representatives and Al-Ittihad about a deal said to be worth around £155million over two years to the player.

Salah’s former team-mate Fabinho has already made the move to Al-Ittihad this summer in a £40m transfer.

In that context the £60m fee being touted for Salah – who has scored 139 goals in 231 Premier League appearances – appeared to under-value a player who is only 12 months into a three-year deal which is the most lucrative contract in Liverpool’s history.

And Salah’s representative insists the former Chelsea and Roma forward has no intention of leaving Anfield in any case.

“If we considered leaving LFC this year, we wouldn’t have renewed the contract last summer. Mohamed remains committed to LFC,” Salah’s agent Ramy Abbas posted on Twitter.

Kevin De Bruyne insists he is “way ahead” of schedule on his return from a hamstring injury that cut short his appearance in Manchester City’s Champions League final win.

The 32-year-old scored 10 goals and provided 31 assists as City won the treble last season, adding the FA Cup and Champions League to a fifth Premier League crown in six years.

De Bruyne revealed that he was carrying a hamstring injury for the last two months of the campaign and was forced off just 36 minutes into the 1-0 win over Inter Milan in June.

His first action back was off the bench as a second-half substitute in Sunday’s Community Shield meeting with Arsenal – where he set up Cole Palmer for the opening goal but then missed the first penalty as the Gunners won a shoot-out 4-1.

“I’m way ahead of schedule,” he said after the Wembley clash.

“I was probably looking to be back around the game vs Seville (in the Super Cup on August 16). I just enjoyed my summer, worked on my injury.

“I came back and the scan was good so I trained mostly alone in Japan. That went well, I’m happy.

“You don’t know how the injury will be. Mostly in the past I’ve always been quite a quick healer. It’s the body.”

City begin the defence of their league title with a trip to Sky Bet Championship winners Burnley on Friday night.

De Bruyne, though, admits he does not know if he will be fit enough to start at Turf Moor.

“I don’t know how I am physically,” added the Belgium international.

“I’ve probably trained five or six times with the team. I’m not too worried about it. I played 45 minutes at a good level so I’m happy with that.

“I’m getting better and there’s still around 70-80 games this year so I should be fine!”

Pep Guardiola has yet to confirm who will take over as City’s new captain this season after Ilkay Gundogan departed for Barcelona.

Kyle Walker – linked with a move to Bayern Munich this summer – led City out at Wembley, while De Bruyne took the armband when he replaced Mateo Kovacic on 64 minutes.

Asked about the captaincy, De Bruyne replied: “Nothing yet. I don’t know.

“If I get it, I get it. It’s not going to change anything I do for the club. This is my ninth year, I know the club inside out and people know whatever they ask of me, I’ll do.

“I’m not too worried. I try to do the same as always. It’s an honour if I get it and if not, it doesn’t matter.”

Tottenham have rejected Bayern Munich’s latest offer for Harry Kane.

Bayern submitted their third offer of the summer for the England captain on Friday and an apparent deadline of midnight was also set by the German club.

All weekend passed without any further development but Spurs have now responded on Monday and rejected Bayern’s latest bid, the PA news agency understands.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy was reported to have met with Bayern officials last week, but the clubs remain around £25million apart in their valuation.

Friday’s bid was expected to be the final offer made by the Bundesliga champions and it remains to be seen whether or not they will continue their pursuit of Kane.

Kane has entered the final 12 months of his contract at Tottenham, but ignored the noise around his future to score four goals in a 5-1 friendly win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Sunday.

Mohamed Salah’s agent has dismissed speculation linking the Liverpool forward with a move to Saudi Arabia as the 31-year-old “remains committed” to the club.

A report in the Middle East claimed talks were taking place between the Egypt international’s representatives and Al-Ittihad over a deal said to be worth over £155million over two years to the player.

Salah’s former team-mate Fabinho has already made the move to Al-Ittihad this summer in a £40m transfer.

In that context the £60m fee being touted for Salah – who has scored 139 goals in 231 Premier League appearances – appeared to under-value a player who is only 12 months into a three-year deal which is the most lucrative contract in Liverpool’s history.

And Salah’s representative insists the former Chelsea and Roma forward has no intention of leaving Anfield in any case.

“If we considered leaving LFC this year, we wouldn’t have renewed the contract last summer. Mohamed remains committed to LFC,” Salah’s agent Ramy Abbas posted on Twitter.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou insists only one transfer deadline counts as he aimed a thinly-veiled dig at Bayern Munich’s public pursuit of Harry Kane after the forward scored four goals against Shakhtar Donetsk.

Kane put the uncertainty over his future to one side to produce a classic display of predatory finishing in what could prove to be his final appearance in Spurs’ colours.

Bayern are reported to have lodged their latest offer for Kane on Friday and an apparent self-imposed deadline of midnight was set by the German club, but there has been no further news on the outcome of that bid and Kane grabbed a hat-trick in 55 minutes of a 5-1 friendly win over Shakhtar.

Kane added another goal in the 79th-minute before he left the pitch a minute later to a standing ovation following more chants of ‘he’s one of our own’ and at the conclusion of the clash the club’s record goal-scorer walked around the pitch to clap all four corners of the ground in what felt a significant moment.

“We know there’s one deadline and that’s the end of the transfer window,” Postecoglou pointed out.

“Beyond that, I’m in open dialogue with Harry and with the club on a regular basis. I’ve said to them that if the status quo changes then inform me.

“I don’t need to know about the comings and goings in between. I just want to deal with what’s in front of me because, irrespective of the outcome of that, I’m building a team here. I can’t wait (around) for a decision either way to get going.

“We don’t have the time or the luxury to do that. I’m working with what’s in front of me. You saw today that Harry certainly is invested in what we’re doing and we’ll keep on doing that unless something changes.”

Bayern have been public about their desire to sign Kane all summer, with their honorary president Uli Hoeness and president Herbert Hainer talking openly in the media last month about trying to sign the England captain.

Postecoglou added: “That’s up to Bayern to decide. If that’s the way they want to conduct things, it’s not up to me to judge that.

“It doesn’t affect me. I don’t sit there on a daily basis and worry about what other clubs are doing.

“I think what is factual right now is that he is a contracted player of our football club.

“I certainly wouldn’t talk about contracted players at other football clubs but I’m not at Bayern mate so they can go the way they want.”

While a lot of the focus on Sunday was on Kane, amongst the spectators at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was Wolfsburg centre-back Micky van de Ven.

Netherlands defender Van de Ven is scheduled to have a medical at Spurs’ training ground on Monday.

But asked about Van de Ven, Postecoglou replied: “It hasn’t been done yet, so it’s not right for me to talk about but there’s no doubt we need some bolstering in that central defensive area.

“Hopefully we’ll get one or two done in the next couple of days to bolster us in that area.”

While Van de Ven’s future looks certain to be at Tottenham, Kane’s club for this campaign remains up in the air.

Postecoglou refused to be drawn into the significance of Kane walking alone to applaud all four corners of the stadium at full-time.

“You are reading something into it, aren’t you,” he added.

“I don’t even know what’s in Harry’s mind, let alone anyone else’s. I think all these things will obviously play out over the next period, we’ll deal with what happens from there.

“From my perspective, I’ve got a team to build here. Today showed me that we’ve made some progress but there’s still a lot of work to do.

“There were areas today I wasn’t delighted with, so we need to make sure we focus on getting this team right. We’ll see what happens after that.

“He’s a fantastic striker, one of the world’s best. I think the way the team plays will help him as well. He loves scoring goals and you saw today we created a load of chances and he was the beneficiary of that.”

Harry Kane put the uncertainty over his future to one side to score four times in Tottenham’s 5-1 pre-season friendly win over Shakhtar Donetsk.

Kane has been the subject of interest from Bayern Munich all summer and the German club are reported to have lodged their latest bid for the forward on Friday.

An apparent self-imposed deadline of midnight was also set by Bayern, but there has been no further news on the outcome of that bid and Kane showed no signs that he was distracted by grabbing a hat-trick in 55 minutes against Shakhtar while being continuously serenaded by the home crowd.

Sunday’s fixture was new boss Ange Postecoglou’s first match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and he was introduced before kick-off to strong applause.

The decibel level were raised even more when Kane’s name was announced after he was included in the starting line-up and given the captain’s armband in the absence of Hugo Lloris.

After Kane had two early shots saved, he scored the first of his four-goal salvo in the 38th-minute when he fired home from the penalty spot after James Maddison had been brought down in the area.

Shakhtar did level on the verge of half-time when Kevin Kelsy headed in from close-range, but it was soon back to the Kane show.

Maddison again combined with his England team-mate in the 50th-minute when his floated crossed was nodded in at the back post by Kane.

The hat-trick was completed five minutes later when Son passed into Dejan Kulusevski, who slipped the ball between Mykola Matviyenko’s legs and Kane drilled into the bottom corner.

Spurs’ record goal-scorer had already heard several renditions of ‘he’s one of our own’ before his treble but a section of the South Stand chanted ‘we want you to stay’ after his third goal.

There was still time for one more Kane goal when substitute Manor Solomon saw his curled shot saved and Kane was there to tap in from close-range in the 79th-minute.

Postecoglou replaced the forward a minute later and Kane left the pitch to a standing ovation before he responded with applause to all four corners of the ground.

Academy graduate Dane Scarlett replaced Kane and scored with the last kick of the game with a fine left-footed effort from Kulusevski’s cross.

The full-time whistle followed and Kane walked over on his own to each side of the stadium to clap the fans still in attendance in what Tottenham supporters’ will hope is not the last time they have seen their all-time leading goal-scorer.

Erik ten Hag hailed new signing Rasmus Hojlund as “a real front man” after he was unveiled ahead of Manchester United’s win against Lens on Saturday.

United confirmed the signing of the striker on a five-year deal from Atalanta for a reported £72million before dispatching the Ligue 1 side 3-1 in their penultimate pre-season friendly.

The 20-year-old, who has scored 27 goals in 87 club appearances and netted six times in six appearances for Denmark, has an option for a further year which would take his Old Trafford stay to 2029.

He becomes the third first-team signing of the close-season, following the arrivals of Mason Mount from Chelsea and goalkeeper Andre Onana from Inter Milan, and was introduced to United supporters on the pitch at Old Trafford ahead of the victory over Lens.

“He is a real frontman,” ten Hag said. “Very direct to the goal, very good presser, a physical presence.

“I think in the balance of this squad, we needed that, alongside (Marcus) Rashford, another player who is direct and can score a goal. That is all in his mind – he wants to score goals.

“I think he has huge potential. And now it’s up to him first, to explore that and we will support him, all the coaches, the team, the team was waiting for a type like him. They will integrate him in the dressing room and in the pitch, they will help him.

Hojlund, who leaves Atalanta after a single season since joining from Sturm Graz, told United’s website: “It is no secret that I have been a fan of this great club since I was a small boy, and I dreamed of walking out at Old Trafford as a Manchester United player.

“I am incredibly excited by this opportunity to turn that dream into a reality, and I am determined to repay the faith that the club has shown in me.

“It is still early in my career, but I know that I am ready to make this step up and play with this group of world-class players.

“Once I had spoken to the manager, I knew that this environment would be perfect for my development; I am relishing the opportunity to work with one of the best coaches in the world.

“Under his guidance and support I know that I am capable of achieving great things together with my new team-mates at this special club.”

He began last season as a substitute for the side from Bergamo but later established himself in the team as a replacement for the injured Colombian striker Duvan Zapata.

He scored four goals in four games in January to cement a burgeoning reputation in Serie A, as the team went on to finish fifth and qualify for the Europa League.

Ten Hag has been vocal about his team’s need for a striker this summer, particularly since the club pulled out of the race to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham.

The team will travel to Dublin to play Athletic Bilbao on Sunday afternoon in their final pre-season outing before opening their Premier League campaign at home to Wolves a week on Monday.

Director of football John Murtough said: “Rasmus is a truly exceptional talent. He possesses technical and physical attributes which rank him amongst the best players in the world for his age group.

“Working under Erik ten Hag and his coaches will provide Rasmus with the perfect development platform.”

Second-half goals from Marcus Rashford, Antony and Casemiro helped United ease to victory against Lens after Florian Sotoca had given the visitors the lead with a spectacular strike from the halfway line.

Manchester United have completed the signing of striker Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta on a five-year deal for a reported £72million.

The 20-year-old, who has scored 27 goals in 87 club appearances and netted six times in six appearances for Denmark, has an option for a further year which would take his Old Trafford stay to 2029.

He becomes the third first-team signing of the close-season, following the arrivals of Mason Mount from Chelsea and goalkeeper Andre Onana from Inter, and was introduced to United supporters on the pitch at Old Trafford ahead of Saturday’s 3-1 friendly win over Lens.

Hojlund, who leaves Atalanta after a single season since joining from Sturm Graz, told United’s website: “It is no secret that I have been a fan of this great club since I was a small boy, and I dreamed of walking out at Old Trafford as a Manchester United player.

“I am incredibly excited by this opportunity to turn that dream into a reality, and I am determined to repay the faith that the club has shown in me.

“It is still early in my career, but I know that I am ready to make this step up and play with this group of world-class players.

“Once I had spoken to the manager, I knew that this environment would be perfect for my development; I am relishing the opportunity to work with one of the best coaches in the world.

“Under his guidance and support I know that I am capable of achieving great things together with my new team-mates at this special club.”

He began last season as a substitute for the side from Bergamo but later established himself in the team as a replacement for the injured Colombian striker Duvan Zapata.

He scored four goals in four games in January to cement a burgeoning reputation in Serie A, as the team went on to finish fifth and qualify for the Europa League.

United manager Erik ten Hag has been vocal about his team’s need for a striker this summer, particularly since the club pulled out of the race to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham.

The team will travel to Dublin to play Athletic Bilbao on Sunday afternoon in their final pre-season outing before opening their Premier League campaign at home to Wolves a week on Monday.

Director of football John Murtough said: “Rasmus is a truly exceptional talent. He possesses technical and physical attributes which rank him amongst the best players in the world for his age group.

“Working under Erik ten Hag and his coaches will provide Rasmus with the perfect development platform.”

Second-half goals from Marcus Rashford, Antony and Casemiro helped United ease to victory against the Ligue 1 side after Florian Sotoca had given the visitors the lead with a spectacular strike from the halfway line.

Manchester United have completed the signing of striker Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta on a five-year deal for a reported £72million.

The 20-year-old, who has scored 27 goals in 87 club appearances and netted six times in six appearances for Denmark, has an option for a further year which would take his Old Trafford stay to 2029.

He becomes the third first-team signing of the close-season, following the arrivals of Mason Mount from Chelsea and goalkeeper Andre Onana from Inter, and was introduced to United supporters on the pitch at Old Trafford ahead of Saturday’s friendly against Lens.

Hojlund, who leaves Atalanta after a single season since joining from Sturm Graz, told United’s website: “It is no secret that I have been a fan of this great club since I was a small boy, and I dreamed of walking out at Old Trafford as a Manchester United player.

“I am incredibly excited by this opportunity to turn that dream into a reality, and I am determined to repay the faith that the club has shown in me.

“It is still early in my career, but I know that I am ready to make this step up and play with this group of world-class players.

“Once I had spoken to the manager, I knew that this environment would be perfect for my development; I am relishing the opportunity to work with one of the best coaches in the world.

“Under his guidance and support I know that I am capable of achieving great things together with my new team-mates at this special club.”

He began last season as a substitute for the side from Bergamo but later established himself in the team as a replacement for the injured Colombian striker Duvan Zapata.

He scored four goals in four games in January to cement a burgeoning reputation in Serie A, as the team went on to finish fifth and qualify for the Europa League.

United manager Erik ten Hag has been vocal about his team’s need for a striker this summer, particularly since the club pulled out of the race to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham.

After Lens the team travel to Dublin to play Athletic Bilbao in their final pre-season outing before opening their Premier League campaign at home to Wolves a week on Monday.

Director of football John Murtough said: “Rasmus is a truly exceptional talent. He possesses technical and physical attributes which rank him amongst the best players in the world for his age group.

“Working under Erik ten Hag and his coaches will provide Rasmus with the perfect development platform.”

Manchester United have completed the signing of striker Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta on a five-year deal.

The 20-year-old, who scored 27 goals in 87 appearances for the Serie A side and has netted six times in six appearances for Denmark, has an option for a further year which would take his Old Trafford stay to 2029.

Hojlund told the club website: “It is no secret that I have been a fan of this great club since I was a small boy and I dreamed of walking out at Old Trafford as a Manchester United player.

“I am incredibly excited by this opportunity to turn that dream into a reality and I am determined to repay the faith that the club has shown in me.

“It is still early in my career, but I know that I am ready to make this step up and play with this group of world-class players.”

Josko Gvardiol rose to global prominence as ‘the man in the mask’ at the 2022 World Cup but had long since been destined for the top.

The Zagreb-born 21-year-old caught the eye in Qatar, but more for his unruffled dynamism at the heart of Croatia’s defence than for the black face mask worn to protect his broken nose.

Gvardiol, who on Saturday completed a £77.6million to Manchester City, was a stand-out player during Croatia’s run to the semi-finals and emerged as arguably the best young player at the tournament and certainly among the world’s best left-footed central defenders.

Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez received FIFA’s young player award, but Gvardiol was included in a five-man shortlist alongside the likes of Jude Bellingham and Morocco’s Azzedine Ounahi.

Dozens of British media outlets named him in their team of the tournament.

His career had already been on a steep upward curve after making his debut for Dinamo Zagreb aged 17 in 2019 and less than a year later he joined RB Leipzig for £13.8million.

Leipzig loaned Gvardiol straight back to Zagreb for the remainder of the 2020-21 season and he played a key role in his hometown club’s domestic double-winning campaign.

The Bundesliga club beat a host of European clubs to the teenager’s signature, including Leeds, who had offered a reported £19million under then head coach Marcelo Bielsa.

Gvardiol later revealed that he had been close to teaming up with Bielsa, who had regularly phoned him personally to convince him of his project at Elland Road.

But he opted for Leipzig and, in his first season at the Red Bull Arena, Gvardiol won rave reviews, helping them lift the DFB Pokal – their first major trophy – and qualify for the Champions League after finishing runners-up to champions Bayern Munich.

Leipzig also reached the 2022 Europa League semi-finals – they lost 3-2 on aggregate to Rangers – and, with Gvardiol integral to their success, Europe’s big guns moved in.

Chelsea’s reported offer of £77.5m in the summer of 2022 was rejected as Leipzig extended the Croatian’s contract until 2027 and he continued to impress.

He scored his first Champions League goal as Leipzig halted Real Madrid’s 16-game unbeaten start last season in a 3-2 win before the World Cup break, heading the German side into an early lead.

Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic had no doubts Gvardiol was on the path to stardom when handing the then-19-year-old his first senior international start in their opening group defeat to England at Euro 2020.

Gvardiol started in every game at the Euros as Croatia lost to Spain in the round of 16 and Dalic’s admiration grew at the World Cup in Qatar.

Lionel Messi duped Gvardiol when setting up Julian Alvarez for Argentina’s third goal in Croatia’s 3-0 semi-final defeat, but that did not detract from the 6ft 1in defender’s immense contribution overall.

After Croatia reached the knockout stages in Qatar, Dalic said: “Gvardiol is the best central defender in the world. He’s so mature. The way he plays, with the grace he controls the ball – it’s amazing.”

Manchester City will be hoping Gvardiol can live up to such high praise.

Josko Gvardiol rose to global prominence as ‘the man in the mask’ at the 2022 World Cup but had long since been destined for the top.

The Zagreb-born 21-year-old caught the eye in Qatar, but more for his unruffled dynamism at the heart of Croatia’s defence than for the black face mask worn to protect his broken nose.

Gvardiol, who on Saturday completed a £77.6million to Manchester City, was a stand-out player during Croatia’s run to the semi-finals and emerged as arguably the best young player at the tournament and certainly among the world’s best left-footed central defenders.

Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez received FIFA’s young player award, but Gvardiol was included in a five-man shortlist alongside the likes of Jude Bellingham and Morocco’s Azzedine Ounahi.

Dozens of British media outlets named him in their team of the tournament.

His career had already been on a steep upward curve after making his debut for Dinamo Zagreb aged 17 in 2019 and less than a year later he joined RB Leipzig for £13.8million.

Leipzig loaned Gvardiol straight back to Zagreb for the remainder of the 2020-21 season and he played a key role in his hometown club’s domestic double-winning campaign.

The Bundesliga club beat a host of European clubs to the teenager’s signature, including Leeds, who had offered a reported £19million under then head coach Marcelo Bielsa.

Gvardiol later revealed that he had been close to teaming up with Bielsa, who had regularly phoned him personally to convince him of his project at Elland Road.

But he opted for Leipzig and, in his first season at the Red Bull Arena, Gvardiol won rave reviews, helping them lift the DFB Pokal – their first major trophy – and qualify for the Champions League after finishing runners-up to champions Bayern Munich.

Leipzig also reached the 2022 Europa League semi-finals – they lost 3-2 on aggregate to Rangers – and, with Gvardiol integral to their success, Europe’s big guns moved in.

Chelsea’s reported offer of £77.5m in the summer of 2022 was rejected as Leipzig extended the Croatian’s contract until 2027 and he continued to impress.

He scored his first Champions League goal as Leipzig halted Real Madrid’s 16-game unbeaten start last season in a 3-2 win before the World Cup break, heading the German side into an early lead.

Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic had no doubts Gvardiol was on the path to stardom when handing the then-19-year-old his first senior international start in their opening group defeat to England at Euro 2020.

Gvardiol started in every game at the Euros as Croatia lost to Spain in the round of 16 and Dalic’s admiration grew at the World Cup in Qatar.

Lionel Messi duped Gvardiol when setting up Julian Alvarez for Argentina’s third goal in Croatia’s 3-0 semi-final defeat, but that did not detract from the 6ft 1in defender’s immense contribution overall.

After Croatia reached the knockout stages in Qatar, Dalic said: “Gvardiol is the best central defender in the world. He’s so mature. The way he plays, with the grace he controls the ball – it’s amazing.”

Manchester City will be hoping Gvardiol can live up to such high praise.