Man City now ‘want to do a deal’ with £140k-a-week star at the Etihad

Manchester City would like to secure an extension to a £140,000 per-week earner's contract at the Etihad Stadium.

Posted Monday, May 29, 2023 by Caughtoffside.com

Manchester City want to tie club captain Ilkay Gundogan to a new contract at the Etihad Stadium this summer, Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has told GIVEMESPORT.

The midfielder is looking to secure a famous treble of major trophies under the management of Pep Guardiola this season.

Man City contract news – Ilkay Gundogan

According to The Athletic's David Ornstein, negotiations between Manchester City and Gundogan are "open" despite interest from Arsenal and Barcelona in his services.

"Fresh efforts will be made to keep him at City, and Gundogan has other possibilities, including Barcelona, but as things stand, no agreements have been reached, and the situation is still open," said Ornstein.

The £140,000 per-week earner's contract will expire at the end of the season, meaning he could leave the Etihad Stadium on a free transfer, having spent the last seven years in Manchester following his £21m arrival from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2016.

Journalist Dean Jones has recently suggested to GIVEMESPORT that City could struggle with the terms of a new deal and to find room for him in the squad beyond this campaign.

And Sheth believes that Gundogan "holds the cards due to his contractual situation but admits it wouldn't be a disaster if he left on a free transfer this summer.

What has Sheth said about Man City and Gundogan?

Sheth told GIVEMESPORT: "I think they want to do a deal with Gundogan where all sides are happy. They want to keep him. But it will be up to Gundogan at the end of the day. He holds the cards here simply because he's out of contract in the summer. If City can't tie him down, he will go for free.

"What a free transfer that would be potentially to Arsenal or another club. We know that Barcelona have been interested as well.

"But if they were to lose Gundogan, I don't think we should worry too much about Manchester City."

How big of a loss would Gundogan be to Man City?

Given the depth of talent available at Guardiola's disposal, as well as City's ability to flex their muscles in the transfer market, Gundogan's presence on the pitch could be replaced, though he has been in excellent form for the Sky Blues in recent seasons.

The 66-cap Germany international has made over 300 appearances for the Cityzens, registering almost 100 goal contributions in that time, generally playing a central midfield role.

And the 32-year-old has won 12 trophies at the Etihad, including five Premier League titles, the last three of which have been won consecutively.

With the Gelsenkirchen-born star looking to skipper the side to an FA Cup and Champions League triumph in the coming weeks, the focus will remain on on-pitch matters.

But Guardiola will want clarity on Gundogan's future as soon as possible for the meticulous Catalan to begin planning his assault on the Premier League title next season.