Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has confessed he still doesn’t know if the club will offer Vincent Kompany an extension on his current deal.
The Belgian defender only has six months left to run on his contract at the Etihad, as he faces the prospect of becoming a free agent in the summer.
Kompany remains City’s club captain and one of the best centre-backs in European football when he is available, but recurring injury woes and fitness issues have prevented him from having a consistent run in the team under Guardiola.
The 32-year-old is sidelined again at the moment, having sustained a muscular injury on January 3 when City beat Liverpool 2-1 at home in the Premier League and it is unclear when he will be cleared for a return to action.
Speaking ahead of City’s latest league clash away at Newcastle on Tuesday night, the Spanish coach refused to rule out an exit for Kompany in the near future, insisting the final decision will be out of his hands.
“He’s incredible but the reality is in the last five years he’s played few, really few,” said Guardiola – as per BBC Sport.
“So that is the situation we have to put on the table and the club will discuss it with his agent and make the best decision for both.
“He’s important, he is our captain and on the field, he gives us extra that few central defenders around the world can give us.
“I’m not involved in the negotiations. I don’t like the clubs to say, ‘ok, it’s done, go’.
“At the same time, there is a moment when it’s over for everybody. That’s why I said, it’s not my decision.”
Kompany has enjoyed a stellar 10-year spell at the Etihad, leading the club to three Premier League titles as skipper, along with one FA Cup and three League Cups.
BBC Sport states that City are keen on offering the Belgium international a new one-year contract, but as doubts over his fitness continue to persist, no conclusion has yet been made on his future.
The prospect of Kompany leaving Manchester this summer is now very real and for his City career to end so abruptly would be a real shame given his years of service.
The veteran defender might not be able to play every week, but when he does start his influence on the pitch is huge and City would surely be ill-advised to offload such a colossal figure in the dressing room prematurely.
