Manchester City won’t sell Gündogan

Ilkay Gündogan was the first signing Manchester City made after the appointment of Pep Guardiola as the manager, and the Catalan has no intention of letting the German leave, according to Manchester Evening News.

This stance has been prompted by recent reports by various outlets claiming Gündogan is a target for Guardiola’s former club Barcelona. The La Liga title holders have lost their long-serving midfielder and captain Andres Iniesta, and despite spending the vast sum of €160million to bring Philippe Coutinho in from Liverpool in January, they see Gündogan as a potential replacement for Iniesta. They are reportedly willing to pay over £50million for his services.

However, Guardiola is keen on giving Gündogan a more prominent role in the City team next season and is currently devising a way to include him into the starting XI alongside David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne. After last summer saw a significant number of transfers at the Etihad, the club are expecting a much quieter window this time around, with director of football Txiki Begiristain currently working on wrapping up deals for Napoli’s Jorginho and Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez.