Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has strongly hinted that veteran midfielder Ilkay Gundogan will remain at the club next season. The 34-year-old, who returned to City from Barcelona last summer, signed a one-year deal with an option for a 12-month extension. This extension can be triggered either by the club or automatically if Gundogan reaches a specified number of appearances this season. When asked if the midfielder will meet the required threshold, Guardiola responded, “I think so. I think so.”
City, who have struggled to maintain their elite performance levels this season, have already begun rejuvenating their squad. During the winter transfer window, the club invested over £170 million in five players with an average age of 21. Guardiola recently emphasized that the team can no longer afford to carry players unable to handle the physical demands of playing every three days, casting uncertainty over the futures of senior players like Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, and Kevin De Bruyne.
De Bruyne’s contract, like Gundogan’s, expires this summer, but Guardiola only mentioned the injury-prone Belgian when discussing the squad’s future. “There are players here who are over 30 that will be part of the future of this club – except Kevin, where he and the club will decide,” Guardiola said. “The others have contracts, and next season I expect them to be here. They are going to help us? Yes or yes!”
The City boss explicitly named Gundogan, whose contract extension has yet to be officially announced, as part of the squad’s plans. “Next season there will be a lot of games, and this lot of games you cannot do it just with new ones, or the old ones – you have to be all together!” Guardiola explained. “I count on Gundo, I count on Bernie [Bernardo Silva], I count on all the players who have a Man City contract – they are there! No doubts about that. And they will be really important at the end of this season, and next season.”
Reports suggest Guardiola is looking to offload as many as eight players this summer to fund further squad investments. However, he was quick to praise the contributions of the experienced core, saying, “I cannot figure out my period here without Gundogan, Bernardo, Kevin… I’m more grateful than you could ever imagine. The success we’ve had as a manager is impossible without these players.”
Guardiola also highlighted the legacy these players will leave behind. “The legacy we are going to leave for the next ones – the players, sporting directors, CEOs – from the last decade or two, it happens because of these type of players. Not just those three, others too like John [Stones], players who are not here anymore. The reality is today, tomorrow, next days, we try to win games, and I take decisions. It’s never ever about them.”
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