Pep Guardiola hints Manchester City losing battle to keep Ilkay Gundogan
- Oscar Sanders
- 19 June 2023
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has hinted that the club are losing the fight to keep star midfielder Ilkay Gundogan at the club amid interest from Barcelona.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has hinted that the club are losing the fight to keep star midfielder Ilkay Gundogan at the club.
Gundogan reportedly wants to join Barca and with his contract set to expire at the end of the month, City are trying their utmost to tie him down for at least another year.
Guardiola has confirmed that his former employers are indeed interested in the 32-year-old and confirmed the battle is on for the Germany international's future.
"We are interested in renewing his contract and [Barcelona] are also interested," Guardiola told reporters at the Puma Legends golf tournament on Monday.
"I hope he stays with us. We are still fighting for him to stay with us. He is a player we want to stay -- and we will do all we can -- but we know Barca want him.
"If Barca sign him, they will have a spectacular footballer on their hands. I am aware Xavi has called him a lot. If, in the end, he picks Barca, I will tell him he will enjoy himself."
City fullback Joao Cancelo, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Bayern Munich, is also being linked with a move to Camp Nou, but the Citizens mentor was quick to rubbish those claims.
"The reality is that João had to leave and we didn't mind where he went -- no offer arrived from Barca," he said.
Finally, Guardiola shut down rumours that the Premier League and Champions League winners are interested in signing Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe and expressed certainty that the France international will join Real Madrid.
"We won't make a move for Mbappé," the former Barca coach confirmed. "You already know where he wants to go."
