Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol ‘will be ceremoniously farewelled’ by former club RB Leipzig when he returns to the German side this week.
That’s according to journalist Peter Linden, who says the defender is set to receive a ‘bull cast in bronze’ as a symbol of his time at the club.
Gvardiol left Leipzig for Manchester City in the summer transfer window in a €90m deal after several years establishing himself as a rising star of Europe with the Bundesliga club.
He remains a firm fan favourite despite his departure, which was seemingly managed on good terms by all with no ill will afterwards.
Linden hints at that today anyway, stating that the defender will be ‘ceremoniously farewelled’ by the club on Wednesday, when they will present him with a ‘bull cast in bronze’.
Manchester City travel to Leipzig for Wednesday’s matchday two of the Champions League group stages, so it seems the Germans have taken the opportunity presented to them.
It’s not the first time they’ve had such a ceremony, with Konrad Laimer also treated to similar before his return with Bayern Munich over the weekend.
The defender will be hoping to be in the starting 11 for the game, having endured an indifferent start to life at the Etihad, where Pep Guardiola is yet to fully integrate him into the side.
Linden reports that is because he sees Gvardiol ‘more as a full-back’ at this moment in time, hence him being out of the side for now.