Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, and the Croatian World Cup star could be a superb addition to Pep Guardiola’s side.

According to French news outlet Foot Mercato, City are embroiled in a bidding war with Manchester United and Chelsea for the 20-year-old and have already submitted a bid worth €100m (£85m).

The former Dinamo Zagreb man had established himself as a top centre-back during his time with Die Roten Bullen and has really caught the eye with his performances in Qatar, helping Zlatko Dalic’s side to reach the semi-finals, where they take on Argentina tonight.

City already boast some top-quality defenders in Ruben Dias, John Stones, Aymeric Laporte, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake, but Gvardiol appears to have a huge amount of potential.

The youngster has earned a solid 6.96 rating from WhoScored for his performances in Qatar and ranks top of Croatia’s squad for interceptions and clearances per game prior to tonight’s clash, which emphasises how important he has been in their impressive defensive displays.

Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor was full of praise for Gvardiol after his performance in the 4-1 win over Canada in the group stage, saying: “Hear me out but think Joško Gvardiol could be worth the eye-watering figures currently being quoted by RB Leipzig. Watched him very closely at World Cup & his reading of the game is exceptional. Still only 20. Man mountain & can also play with both feet. Top defender.”

The 20-year-old has also been dubbed the “Haaland of defenders” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig on Twitter, which suggests that he is certainly expected to play at the top level of football for many years to come.

City have looked suspect defensively on a number of occasions so far this season, notably in the draw against Newcastle United and the defeat against Liverpool where they conceded a combined haul of four goals, so adding a centre-back of Gvardiol’s Haaland-esque quality could genuinely be game-changing for Guardiola in January.

The Spaniard will need to ensure that his side are playing at their best if they are to overtake Arsenal in the title race.

Considering his displays against the world’s best in Qatar, Gvardiol could just take the Citizens to the next level if he moves to the Etihad Stadium, while also ensuring that City have a world-class centre-back on their books for potentially the next decade.