Pep Guardiola drops Ilkay Gundogan Man City contract bombshell | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola effectively confirmed that veteran midfielder Ilkay Gundogan will remain at the club next season.

Last summer, the 34-year-old midfielder reached out to his former club to force through a return from Barcelona. Gundogan initially signed a one-year deal with the option of a 12-month extension which could be triggered by the club or automatically if the Germany international reaches a certain number of appearances.

Asked whether that threshold will be met this season, Guardiola admitted: "I think so. I think so."

After enduring an extended spell well below the elite levels of recent years, City have already begun rejuvenating the squad. More than £170m was spent in the winter window on five players with an average age of 21.

Guardiola has recently revealed that the club can no longer tolerate players who are not able to handle the physical demands of playing a match every three days - casting doubts over the futures of a veteran core made up of the likes of Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne.

Much like Gundogan, De Bruyne's deal expires this summer, yet Guardiola only referred to the injury-prone Belgian when reflecting on the squad's future makeup.

Ilkay Gundogan (left) and Kevin De Bruyne are no longer at their peak / Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/GettyImages

"There are players here who are over 30 that will be part of the future of this club - except Kevin, where he and the club will decide," Guardiola pointed out this week. "The others have contracts and next season I expect them to be here. They are going to help us? Yes or yes!"

The City boss explicitly name-checked Gundogan, who has not had his contract extension officially announced, as a part of the squad's future. "Next season there will be a lot of games and this lot of games you cannot do it just with new ones, or the old ones - you have to be all together!" Guardiola continued. "I count on Gundo, I count on Bernie [Bernardo Silva], I count on all the players who have a Man City contract - they are there! No doubts about that. And they will be really important at the end of this season, and next season."

Multiple reports have claimed that Guardiola is looking to jettison as many as eight players this summer in a bid to raise funds for even more investment. However, he was quick to laud the previous success of those experienced professionals. "I cannot figure out my period here without Gundogan, Bernardo, Kevin... I'm more grateful than you could ever imagine. The success we've had as a manager impossible without these players.

"The legacy we are going to leave behind for the next ones - the players, sporting directors, CEOs - from the last decade or two, it happens because of these type of players. Not just those three, others too like John [Stones], players who are not here anymore. The reality is today, tomorrow, next days, we try to win games and I take decisions. It's never ever about them."