Josko Gvardiol transfer completes Man City's defensive revolution amid Pep Guardiola's war on full-backs

Gvardiol has one quality Guardiola has always demanded of his defenders: technical ability leading to confidence on the ball. And he has something which has only become a requisite for the coach more recently: remarkable physical prowess.

The defender, standing at 6'1, is blessed with brutish strength, while he looked even more intimidating during the World Cup, when he wore a black mask to protect a broken nose.

The son of an amateur footballer, Gvardiol's power makes him so hard for opponents to get past and allows him to bulldoze downfield and launch attacks, as he frequently did during the Croatia's run to the semi-finals in Qatar.

He also demonstrated his strength in the first leg of RB Leipzig's Champions League last-16 tie with City, grabbing his side's equaliser with a thunderous header. That night he also got the better of Erling Haaland in a compelling physical battle, limiting the Norwegian to one shot. But it's fair to say that Haaland got his revenge in the second leg, scoring five goals in a 7-0 rout.

But his calmness on the ball and sensible decision making is what makes Gvardiol stand out from other defenders, especially given he has only played two seasons in a top-five European league. As Croatia team-mate Borna Barisic said during the World Cup: "He plays like he has 100 caps for the national team. But that is what happens when God gives you everything."

After the 0-0 group-stage draw with Belgium, when Gvardiol made one of the best defensive interventions of the tournament by sliding in to rob the ball from Romelu Lukaku late on, his coach Zlatko Dalic could not resist talking up his centre-back. "Josko Gvardiol is the best centre-back in the world," he said. "To play this maturely, it’s amazing. The way he plays, with the elegance he carries the ball."

Gvardiol is a highly coveted resource in football: a left-footed centre-back. His ability with his left foot allows him to seamlessly start attacks after winning the ball back and means he can also slot into left-back positions during games ,or even into the left-hand side of midfield. And that is what makes him so appealing to Guardiola given the coach's new vision for his team.

The Catalan coach always seemed to be an enthusiast for wide, attacking full-backs. His all-conquering Barcelona side owed so much to the thrusting runs and crosses of Dani Alves, while Philipp Lahm was one of his most important players while at Bayern Munich.

And in his second summer transfer window at City, Guardiola turned plenty of heads by splashing out £130m on three full-backs - Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy and Danilo. Oleksandr Zinchenko, a bargain at under £2m in 2016, also developed into an important squad player at left-back.

Guardiola would later add Cancelo for a further £60m in 2019, and the Portuguese was one of Guardiola's most reliable and decisive players in the title wins of 2021 and 2022. However, Guardiola shocked everyone by sending Cancelo on loan to Bayern in January after the defender struggled to accept losing his place in the team.

The arrival of Haaland changed the way City played, and the presence of a centre-forward meant they had less control of possession than when they played with a false nine, leaving them more vulnerable to counter-attacks.

This change led to Guardiola prioritising tough, old school defenders such as Nathan Ake, who he turned from a centre-back into a left-back after the World Cup, eventually selecting him over Cancelo. When Ake suffered two injuries in the final three months of the season, meanwhile, Guardiola did the same thing with Manuel Akanji. Despite never playing as a full-back before, the Swiss defender also thrived in the role, putting in particularly impressive performances against Arsenal and in both Champions League semi-final matches against Real Madrid, even if he struggled a bit in the final against Inter.

John Stones was also a crucial part of the re-shaping of Guardiola's defence, turning into a visionary holding midfielder after taking the baton of hybrid right-back/midfielder from Rico Lewis. Stones is now enjoying a new lease of life as one of City's most crucial players having been one of their standout performers in the Champions League final.

When Guardiola first started experimenting with playing four centre-backs in March, it meant dropping Kyle Walker for a short period, and the coach expressed his doubts over the England defender's ability to play as an inverted full-back. He instead claimed he was merely making the best out of the options available to him as he no longer had natural full-backs who would fly up and down the pitch.

But as the team become stronger and stronger in the new shape and charged towards the treble, Guardiola seemed more enthused by his old school defenders. And who could blame him? City ended the Premier League season with the joint-best defence alongside Newcastle, winning 12 games in a row between mid-February and May while conceding just seven goals.

In their six FA Cup matches they conceded just once, and that was Bruno Fernandes' controversial penalty in the final against Manchester United. And in the Champions League knockout stages, they let in only three goals in seven matches, walloping Real Madrid 4-0, Bayern Munich 3-0 and Leipzig 7-0 at home.

When City wrapped up the Premier League title, Guardiola made a point of underlining the influence of Ake, saying the Dutchman "gave us that boost that I didn't have in the past". And he lavished more praise on his defence just after City won the Champions League in Istanbul after a gritty performance against Inter. "Being a good defender, I consider it the biggest talent in football," he said.

It was quite the turnaround from a manager who built one of the most spellbinding teams ever at Barcelona and who seemed to have a holier than thou view about how football should be played. The man who has always seemed to be an attacking ideologue is now singing the virtues of defending. And his pursuit of Gvardiol proves he is doubling down on the new approach.

Having pulled off this signing, City will not just be able to count on one of the best centre-backs in the world, they will be offering him the ideal defensive structure in which to thrive and help them continue to conquer the world.