Man City boss Pep Guardiola will reportedly be handed a boost as Barcelona target Ilkay Gundogan is said to prefer signing a new deal with the Premier League champions rather than seal an exit.
The 27-year-old joined the club in 2016 from Borussia Dortmund. After an injury-plagued first campaign at the Etihad, he emerged as a key figure last year making 48 appearances in all competitions as City secured a domestic double.
With that in mind, he’ll hope to go from strength to strength under Guardiola moving forward, and that’s reflected in the fact that he’s already made five appearances so far this season.
Nevertheless, the German international’s current contract does expire in 2020, and so it remains to be seen if he is heading closer towards being in the last year of his deal or if he is handed an extension to avoid any doubts over his future growing at the club.
According to The Sun, Gundogan will prioritise signing a new deal with Man City over looking for a move to Barcelona, with the Catalan giants said to be interested in acquiring his services along with the likes of AC Milan and other Bundesliga sides.
Given Barca signed Arthur and Arturo Vidal this past summer, it doesn’t seem to make too much sense to sign another midfielder to give coach Ernesto Valverde a potential selection headache as he has plenty of options in that department already.
In turn, signing a renewal would seemingly make sense for all concerned, but time will tell if negotiations pass without troubles.
City will again be targeting multiple trophies this season, and in order to add to their collection from last year, Guardiola will certainly need quality and depth in midfield and Gundogan provides both.