June 19, (THEWILL) – Manchester City Manager, Pep Guardiola, has expressed his determination to retain midfielder Ilkay Gundogan at the club beyond this season.
THEWILL recalls that Gundogan’s contract with City is set to expire at the end of June, and Barcelona have made an offer to lure the 32-year-old to Camp Nou. While Guardiola confirmed that Sporting Director, Txiki Begiristain, is working on a new deal for Gundogan, sources indicate that Barcelona have been confident about securing the player’s services this summer.
The Spanish club has offered a two-year contract to Gundogan, with a possible extension for another year. Despite Barcelona’s pursuit, Guardiola vowed to put up a fight to keep Gundogan: “We are interested in renewing his contract, and we will do all we can, but we know Barca want him.”
Gundogan’s potential departure adds to the list of Manchester City players linked with transfers away from the Etihad Stadium this summer. Besides Gundogan, midfielder Bernardo Silva is also seeking a move from the club. Barcelona have also shown interest in Silva, but they might face competition from Paris Saint-Germain for the Portuguese international. The outcome of that pursuit remains uncertain, as Barcelona focus on their pursuit of Gundogan.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
