Manchester City are set to bid a fond farewell to a great of their midfield, a man who has captained them, who has scored and made goals and defined an era. But only one. Even as Kevin De Bruyne’s summer departure has been confirmed, Ilkay Gundogan’s contract has been extended.
A clause in his contract has been triggered. “What will happen, I don’t know, but he has one more year on his contract here now,” said Pep Guardiola. Upon his return from Barcelona, Gundogan had signed a one-year deal with an extra year, depending on how involved he was. He has already made 43 appearances, 31 of them starts, amounting to more than 2700 minutes on the pitch. Only Josko Gvardiol has featured in more matches for City this season. Injury-prone when supposedly in his prime, in his 35th year, Gundogan now appears an anomaly in this City squad, immune to injuries in a year when many another has been struck down.
