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Ilkay Gundogan Reportedly Close to Extending Manchester City Contract
August 5, 2019
Ilkay Gundogan is reportedly close to signing a contract extension at Manchester City after suggesting he's set to make a decision on his long-term future.
Gundogan, 28, is in the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium and has been linked with a departure. However, he spoke to reporters after City edged Liverpool 5-4 on penalties in Sunday's Community Shield and hinted a new deal could be announced soon:
"If you stay patient for another couple of weeks you will know—we will see.
"Every situation is different and individual. Everyone has to take a decision for himself. These kind of decisions sometimes take a little bit of time.
"During last season I asked people to be patient because it's a decision you make for the next few years. That's why I was calm and relaxed and still am. It's a comfortable situation for me at the moment."
The Germany international still wasn't giving much away with his latest remarks, though football journalist Sam Lee tweeted a deal has already been agreed between the two parties:
Gundogan joined City in 2016 and recovered from serious injury in his first season to become an integral member of Pep Guardiola's midfield.
He's made 90 appearances for the Citizens since the beginning of the 2017-18 season, offering a useful alternative to the likes of David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Fernandinho in the middle of the park.
City drew 1-1 against Liverpool at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, but Gundogan showed great nerve to step up and take their first penalty en route to a shootout victory over the Reds.
He took to Twitter to celebrate his latest trophy as a Citizen:
The former Borussia Dortmund ace has enjoyed a period of consistency since his last significant injury. He also endured numerous setbacks during his five-year tenure at the Westfalenstadion.
He isn't the only German who's been linked with the City exit in recent months, and Guardiola gave a frank update on his and Leroy Sane's situations in April, via Goal:
Negotiations with Gundogan appear to have improved since then, and the player now seems more content to extend his three-year stay at the Etihad.