(Football news) The Premier League champions are expected to pay a flat sum of €90 million ($98 million), with no add-ons. Gvardiol, 21, will next undergo a medical before departing for England.

He is unlikely to make his debut against Arsenal in the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday, but he should be signed in time for City’s league opener against Burnley at Turf Moor on Aug. 11. Leipzig first valued Gvardiol at €100 million, which stymied talks earlier this summer.

Leipzig’s assessment would have made Gvardiol the most expensive defender in the world, but City’s negotiated sum is less than the £80 million Manchester United paid Leicester City for Harry Maguire in 2019.

Gvardiol will be Pep Guardiola’s second summer acquisition, following the arrival of Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea. Ilkay Gündogan and Riyad Mahrez have already left, and there could be more departures with interest in Bernardo Silva, Kyle Walker, Kalvin Phillips, and Aymeric Laporte.

Gvardiol, who has previously been linked with Chelsea and Tottenham, joins compatriot Mateo Kovacic as a new addition at the Etihad Stadium as manager Pep Guardiola makes changes following his side’s treble-winning season.

He joins a strong central defensive group at City that includes Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, John Stones, and Aymeric Laporte.

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