‘An offer from Leeds’: Agent says £22m man rejected Elland Road move

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Dinamo Zagreb starlet Josko Gvardiol turned down Leeds United because of the ‘sporting project’ on offer at RB Leipzig, his agent Andy Bara has told Calciomercato.

When Leeds and Leipzig went head-to-head for one of the most talented young defenders on the continent, it is fair to say he had a difficult decision to make.

Would Gvardiol move to Elland Road and link up with Marcelo Bielsa, a coach who has transformed Ben White, Kalvin Phillips, Patrick Bamford and more into players of genuine Premier League potential?

Or should he follow in the footsteps of Timo Werner, Naby Keita and co in the hope that Leipzig will be a stepping stone to one of the biggest clubs on the planet?

With the Champions League semi-finalists confirming Gvardiol’s belated arrival at the Red Bull Arena this afternoon, his agent has now spoken out to explain why the teen sensation decided, in the end, to give Leeds the cold shoulder.

“True, he had an offer from Leeds but he chose Leipzig for the sporting project. Economically the offers were practically the same,” Bara says.

Sportske Novosti reported last week that Gvardiol had been offered a £5.4 million, four-year deal at Elland Road – one that works out at around £25,000-a-week.

Leeds were also willing to pay £20 million; a huge fee for a teenager with a handful of first-team appearances under his belt (DiMarzio).

Gvardiol could perhaps be a long-term replacement for the coveted Dayot Upamecano at Leipzig.