Gvardiol contract call offers City clarity with Blues super-strength clear

There will be a strong Manchester City flavour to tonight's World Cup tie as England make their tournament bow.

The Three Lions have Blues pair Nico O'Reilly and Marc Guehi, as well as the recently departed John Stones, while Croatia can call upon Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol. It promises to be an enthralling match-up between the two Group K favourites as both bid to start the tournament with a win.

And Blues fans can watch on safe in the knowledge that Gvardiol will be remaining at City despite summer speculation linking him with an exit. The Blues and Gvardiol are close to confirming a new contract for the defender that will keep him at the Etihad until 2031.

The 24-year-old, whose current deal expires in 2028, is settled in Manchester and while the departure of Pep Guardiola has naturally created uncertainty around the Etihad and prompted some players to reflect on their own career paths, Gvardiol has opted to remain and extend his stay.

That will be a huge boost to incoming boss Enzo Maresca, who will be walking into a defence primed to challenge on all fronts, despite the exit of Stones. The England international left City this summer but injuries and fitness issues limited his chances in the past two seasons.

Instead, City fans were treated to a young and fresh centre back pairing of January arrival Guehi and Abdukodir Khusanov, who has blossomed into a capable and confident Premier League defender. Those two ended the campaign as first choice with Gvardiol returning in the final week of the campaign having suffered a leg break in January.

The Croat can also operate at left back and will be a vital player at City next season. The Blues also have Ruben Dias in the ranks with the Portugal international in line to be named captain following his countryman Bernardo Silva's departure.

Nathan Ake is also still at the club and showed in the second half of last season what he can offer. The Dutchman may well depart this summer given his contract is up in 12 months, a renewal is unlikely and he will find regular minutes tough to come by.

But even if the 31-year-old leaves, City would be left with a centre back quartet of Gvardiol, Dias, Guehi and Khusanov and that foursome is as good as it gets in club football. The Blues will want a fifth centre back and could look in-house to academy prospects Max Alleyne and Stephen Mfuni to fill the void should Ake move on. There is also the chance that Vitor Reis, who spent last term on loan at Girona, returns to offer first team competition.

Either way, centre half is where City's greatest depth lies ahead of a new era.