After letting Oleksandr Zinchenko join Arsenal earlier in the transfer window, the Premier League champions are reportedly searching for a new left-back.

Gvardiol, a versatile defender who can play either left or center back, is rumored to be on City's radar, and the London clubs Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur are also said to be interested.

German news outlet Bild reported on Tuesday that Leipzig had rejected the Citizens' offer of €80 million (£66.8 million) for the 20-year-old player.

The Daily Mail now asserts, however, that City has not submitted an offer for Gvardiol and that they do not currently have any plans to do so this summer.

According to the report, Leipzig wants to hold onto the Croatian international because he still has four years left on his deal with the Bundesliga team.

A swap deal between Chelsea and the former Leipzig forward Timo Werner, who has been heavily linked to leaving Stamford Bridge this summer, was reportedly unsuccessful in an effort to acquire Gvardiol.

After a year on loan with his boyhood club, Dinamo Zagreb, Gvardiol enjoyed an impressive first year with Leipzig’s senior side last season, making 45 appearances in all tournaments as well as helping the German outfit win the DFB-Pokal.

The defender gained experience in both the Champions League and Europa League last term, while he already has 10 international caps for Croatia, including four appearances as a left-back at Euro 2020.

With Leipzig desperate to hold on to Gvardiol, journalist Christian Falk claims that Die Roten Bullen are ready to offer the defender a new contract to fend off interest from other clubs.

Falk adds that Leipzig are planning to insert a release clause into his new deal which would become active in the summer of 2023.