Manchester City have reportedly opened talks with Ilkay Gundogan over the possibility of seeing the midfielder sign a new contract at the club.
As things stand, the 32-year-old is set to see his contract at City expire in the summer.
However, with the latest January transfer window now out of the way, some behind-the-scenes details have emerged regarding the German international’s future.
According to a recent report for The Athletic written by Sam Lee, talks between City and Gundogan have opened about potentially renewing his deal at the Etihad Stadium.
The report also adds that the midfielder is keen to stay at the Manchester club due to Pep Guardiola recently signing a new deal and because Gundogan’s wife is about to give birth.
Having joined City back in the 2016 summer transfer window from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth £21m as Guardiola’s first signing for the club, the midfielder has gone on to make 281 appearances across all competitions, scoring 51 goals and delivering 35 assists along the way.
This season has seen Gundogan feature in all but four of City’s matches across all competitions, highlighting how important he is for the team.
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His efforts in the Premier League have earned the former Dortmund star an overall season rating of 7.02/10 from WhoScored, making him the sixth-highest rated player currently at the club.
Back in October, the City manager shared his thoughts on how important Gundogan has been for the Citizens since his arrival.
He said: “Gundogan was the first player we signed – when I became a manager to have the pleasure to work with people like Ilkay. I will never forget him… he is an incredible football player, always grounded… and always you can rely on him 100%. He gave us the PL.”
Taking all of this into account, we feel that it makes sense for the club to offer the midfielder a new contract and should be a big positive for them and the fans if he ends up extending his stay at the Etihad beyond this season.