Ilkay Gundogan’s Manchester City future takes fresh twist as club opens door to transfer | OneFootball

Manchester City are ready to listen to offers for Ilkay Gundogan this summer despite the recent contract extension triggered automatically in his deal.

The former Germany international only returned to the Etihad Stadium towards the end of the last summer transfer window, after a sudden turn of events at Barcelona left the veteran midfielder scrambling for an exit solution from the La Liga giants.

With club officials at Barca unable to register new, youthful signings to spark a new era under Hansi Flick, a decision was taken to deem Gundogan surplus to requirements, and allowing the player to leave on the same free transfer that he arrived on one year earlier.

Manchester City did not hesitate, and felt as though the player still had plenty to offer through his knowledge of not only their club but also the game as a whole, offering Gundogan a one-year contract plus a further 12-months should he make a certain number of appearances.

Largely due to a mixture of injuries and fitness problems in the squad, Pep Guardiola has been forced to call-upon the highly-experienced midfielder more often than he would have imagined, and thus the aforementioned extension to his agreement has been triggered.

But it seems as though the 12-month extension to terms taking Gundogan through until the end of the upcoming 2025/26 campaign is not total confirmation of the player remaining in Manchester this summer.

That is according to the information of journalist Ben Jacobs, who highlights that it is likely two midfielders will arrive at Manchester City this summer given Kevin De Bruyne’s confirmed exit and long-standing interest in Bernardo Silva.

It is also revealed that despite Ilkay Gündoğan recently extending his agreement at the Etihad Stadium and the player himself wanting to stay at the club for another year, City officials will listen to offers for the 34-year-old this summer.

Gundogan himself has publicly revealed his determination to remain at the very top of the game for as long as possible, and recently told an interview with German media of his belief that he could carry on playing for up to another four years.

“Honestly, I want to play football for several more years, because I feel absolutely ready, very fit, and I take care of my body,” Gundogan told BILD earlier this month.

“I feel I really enjoy football: not just another year, but at least two years, maybe even three or four. I’m already thinking about what comes next. I’m not afraid of those thoughts; I’m more excited.

“But my body’s still cooperating, and Pep [Guardiola] isn’t saying to me, ‘Hey, you’re falling off the field.'”

What comes next for Gundogan beyond his playing career remains largely unknown, although there is a belief that he would lean towards the coaching route having undergone experiences in that direction with Manchester City themselves.

On the prospect of coaching alongside Pep Guardiola as an assistant, the former Borussia Dortmund star admitted during the aforementioned interview, “I didn’t ask him. But there’s probably nothing better than starting out as Pep’s assistant.

“The examples of the past few years have shown it can pave the way for a coaching career. Being Pep’s assistant would be extremely appealing.”