‘Clubs want him in the Premier League’ – BT Sport panel praise RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol after first leg performance

Josko Gvardiol showed after his performance in the Champions League in the round of 16 first leg against Manchester City that he could move into the Premier League, says Nedum Onuoha.

Ahead of Man City’s second leg against RB Leipzig, the BT Sport panel spoke about how Gvardiol could fit into the Premier League given his style of play.

“I think he was amazing. And if you look at how young he is, that’s why there’s so much interest in him, [clubs want] to get him into the Premier League now,” said Onuoha, who played for Manchester City between 2004 and 2012.

“I was also impressed by the goal he scored. It felt like a very ‘British’ header at the back post, jumping on someone’s shoulders to score a goal.

“I don’t want to mark him from corners in the Premier League. The way he’s playing, he’s just ahead.

“And with someone like Haaland, he’s a fantastic player, but people aren’t that good if you put pressure on them. And I think into it [the first leg], we have seen that many times. It was a very impressive performance.”

Owen Hargreaves was also full of praise for the centre-back, saying: “Important contribution in the first leg. Not only his goal, but also his defensive contribution. We haven’t seen many defenders get the best out of Erling Haaland and he did .

“And that was just the basics. I think defenders are now recognized for how well they possess the ball and what they contribute to the attacking side of the game, but first and foremost you have to defend your goal.”

Rio Ferdinand added: “He was happy to have the fight. And that’s the only thing I called out for from the centre-backs. I want to see people compete against him [forwards], and say, “Okay, you and me, one on one, let’s have it.” And he did that very well.

“One of his best qualities is actually his calmness and confidence on the ball. I would even go so far as to say he’s in the top two or three in terms of running out and coming out with the ball.” in the world because he is so collected and so calm in it.

“He ventures out and usually finds the right pass. He feels so good. i love everything about him

“I think he’s this boy’s real deal.”

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