Joško Gvardiol

One of Europe's elite centre-backs, Gvardiol joined Manchester City for a then-world record fee for a defender in 2023 and has been a cornerstone of their domestic success.

Gvardiol emerged from Dinamo Zagreb's academy and won two Croatian league titles before joining RB Leipzig in 2020, where he helped the club win their first DFB-Pokal titles. His stellar performances at the 2022 World Cup, where Croatia took bronze, attracted elite interest across Europe. Manchester City signed him for approximately £77 million in August 2023, making him the most expensive defender in history at the time.

At City he has won the Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, and multiple other trophies, cementing himself as one of the world's best left-sided defenders. He has earned 47 caps for Croatia and scored 4 international goals.