Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has admitted he could be open to a ‘new challenge’ upon the expiration of his current deal.
The German is contracted to the Premier League champions until the summer of 2020, but it appears that he is not yet willing to commit his long-term future to the club.
According to The Sun, Gundogan has been stalling on signing a new contract since the start of the season and he will not make a final decision on his future until the summer.
The 28-year-old joined City from Borussia Dortmund in 2016 on a four-year contract and he has since racked up over 100 appearances for the club across all competitions.
Gundogan has also picked up a Premier League winner’s medal and two Carabao Cups, enhancing his reputation as a top quality, non-nonsense midfielder with his consistent displays in the middle of the park.
Club boss Pep Guardiola has made it clear that he wants to retain Gundogan’s services, but only if he truly wants to remain at the Etihad Stadium.
The former Dortmund superstar has come out to address his future at the start of the week, revealing that while he is pondering a potential exit next year, he remains content with life in Manchester at the moment.
“There is no decision yet otherwise I would have signed or rejected a contract,” Gundogan began – as per The Sun.
“We are still in talks but I don’t feel there is much pressure, maybe also because we are still competing in all the competitions.
“This is something everyone has to decide for themselves. I am 28 years old now so my next contract will maybe decide where I will be for the end of my career.
“Everyone feels different. Maybe someone has an inner feeling in his self to go for a new challenge or to change something.
“If you see on my CV you can read that I am always open-minded for challenges but it is a personal situation.
“Obviously one day there has to be a decision but I am very happy at the moment here especially about the way we play and how we play under Pep, and that is the main thing.”
Gundogan was speaking ahead of City’s vital Champions League clash against Schalke at the Etihad on Tuesday night, in the second leg of their last-16 tie.
All-set for Round 2! ??#cityvs04 ? #mancity pic.twitter.com/dNFEgsWBIT
— Manchester City (@ManCity) March 11, 2019
Guardiola’s men hold a 3-2 lead over the German outfit from the first leg and will be expected to qualify for the quarter-finals of this year’s competition.
Gundogan, who has over 30 appearances for City under his belt this season, is in line to start against Schalke and supporters will hope that he can stay focused on his duties amid the ongoing uncertainty surrounding his future.
