Thanks to a contractually agreed clause, Ilkay Gündogan’s contract with Manchester City has been extended by one year. Nevertheless, the future of the former DFB captain remains uncertain.
With a 5-2 victory over Crystal Palace, Manchester City climbed to 5th place in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon. An important victory in the race for the Champions League places – and with regard to the future of Ilkay Gündogan.
The 34-year-old played the full 90 minutes, having also started the previous four competitive matches. Once again, the midfielder impressed, with City manager Pep Guardiola in particular: “The Gündo from Leicester (2-0), the Gündo from Bournemouth (2-1), the Gündo from today (against Crystal Palace) – that’s the Gündo I remember from when we won the treble and quadruple,” said Guardiola, who described the veteran as an ‘important player’.
Guardiola: “I don’t know what will happen in the summer”
A real hymn of praise from the Spaniard, who was also able to confirm the contract extension with Gündogan: “He definitely has a year left on his contract. I don’t know what will happen in the summer, but currently he has a year left on his contract.” The contract of the 82-time German international would have originally expired this summer, but thanks to a clause, the contract is now valid until June 2026.
Without thinking further about the future, Gündogan should now help the Citizens to be represented in the premier league again next season. The fact that, after a poor start to the season, not only “his activity” but also “his pace” and “defensive intelligence” have returned, makes Guardiola optimistic about the final stretch of the season.
“Gündo was extremely important for us,” said the 54-year-old, looking back on the past, but also criticizing: “We as a team couldn’t help him, because it’s not just about you, you, you. Everyone was below par because the team as a whole wasn’t playing well.” Meanwhile, the mood in the blue part of Manchester, which has been accustomed to success, is quite different again – thanks in part to Gündogan.
