Ilkay Gundogan has made 14 appearances in all competitions this season, featuring in nine of Manchester City’s 10 Premier League games and all of their Champions League outings, but his future at the Etihad Stadium is up in the air as his contract is up next summer.
The 31-year-old is an important player under Pep Guardiola and has skippered the side on multiple occasions, but he’s set to leave City on a free transfer as his contract has yet to be extended beyond 2023. Alan Hutton believes it’s possible that he moves on as Guardiola can be ruthless with transfers.
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He told Football Insider: “You would like to think that Pep would have a plan in mind if they are going to let him go. I think we have seen in the past that Pep can be ruthless when it comes to transfers.
“You think of (Gabriel) Jesus, (Oleksandr) Zinchenko, guys that have been there and won things are just allowed to go to a rival. They have always got a plan to bring somebody else in.
“If they get the money that they deem a decent fee then they will take it because they will have a plan to bring somebody else in.”
Guardiola doesn’t have much time for sentiment if he believes it’s in the best interest for the player to leave, but it would surprising if Gundogan was moved on next year.
The 31-year-old is still playing on a regular basis and City aren’t overstocked with central midfielders of his ilk, so a long-term replacement can be scouted without throwing the baby out with the bath water.
Gundogan joined City from Borussia Dortmund in 2016 and has gone on to make 267 appearances in all competitions, scoring 51 goals with 34 assists. The 31-year-old may not command a starting place when Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva are all fit, but his absence would hurt City.
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O.K. I get it but Mahrez, and maybe Grealish should go first
Grealish is starting to perform.
Misleading headline………Gundogan is coming to the end of his contract not being transferred out in the summer. It is highly likely he will be offered a new 1 year extension or even a two year deal after the world cup.