Pep Guardiola confirms Manchester City contract extension for first-team player after difficult season | OneFootball

Ilkay Gundogan is close to triggering an extension clause in his Manchester City contract to keep him at the club into next season, Pep Guardiola has confirmed.

The German midfielder sealed a sensational last-minute return to the Etihad Stadium last summer after Barcelona decided to part ways with the 34-year-old to free up funds and register the signing of playmaker, Dani Olmo.

The five-time Premier League winner has, so far this term, struggled to replicate the form that made him so integral to Pep Guardiola and Manchester City before and during their historic 2022/23 treble winning season.

However, Ilkay Gundogan has been able to slot in across the midfield and fill the glaring gap left by the injured Rodri, making 37 appearances in all competitions for Manchester City so far this season.

The arrival of 23-year-old Spanish midfielder Nico Gonzalez has eased the burden that has so far been shouldered by Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic in midfield, which could allow the former to be used more effectively in advanced positions for the rest of the season.

Pep Guardiola’s first signing following his arrival at Manchester City in 2016, Gundogan, has been one of the Catalan’s most valuable arrivals and the midfielder’s return to the club last summer doubled down the trust the 54-year-old retains in the veteran midfielder.

Following Gundogan’s sensational return towards the end of the summer window, there were reports that his contract contained a clause that could see a year added on to his initial one-year deal should he complete a certain number of minutes in 50 per cent of the club’s games.

In hindsight, Ilkay Gundogan’s minutes have largely come from filling in wherever needed in the absence of Rodri and the drastic loss in form endured by Kevin De Bruyne, who could be departing Manchester City in the summer owing to his own expiring agreement.

However, in what is perhaps a stroke of good luck, Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Ilkay Gundogan is close to triggering the conditional clause in his contract that will see him stay put for another year.

“Yeah, I think so. I think so,” said the Catalan coach, in reference to whether Ilkay Gundogan was close to extending his stay at the Etihad Stadium.

The news, which Pep Guardiola confirmed in his press conference ahead of City’s FA Cup fifth round tie against Plymouth Argyle on Saturday evening, adds a token of certainty to the cloud of uncertainty surrounding the future of several the club’s seasoned first-team players.