Former Manchester City star suggested that he could well have stayed at Manchester City had he been offered a new contract earlier last season

Ilkay Gundogan has suggested that he could well have stayed at Manchester City had he been offered a new contract earlier last season.

In an interview with Sport Bild, the Barcelona technician was quizzed about the situation around his contract renewal or lack thereof at City.

Ilkay Gundogan has revealed that he could have stayed at Manchester City if he was offered a contract earlier by the club.

Ilkay Gundogan suggests he could have stayed at Manchester City if contract was offered earlier
Branded as an ‘unbelievable player’ by Kyle Walker, it was a surprise to see the Sky Blues let the German go considering how influential he was in his side’s treble-winning season.

Despite being 32 years of age, Gundogan proved in the previous campaign that he is still in the peak of his powers.

Now, Ilkay Gundogan has spilled the beans of the mystery around his contract situation at Manchester City last season.

“I’m honest. And many people don’t know this: In the end, it wasn’t about a year or two. There was no problem with the running time. City waited a relatively long time until the talks really intensified. If this had happened a little earlier, the situation would have been different. So, in the end it was the perfect ending, it couldn’t have come at a better time. It was also my childhood dream to play for FC Barcelona.”

Ilkay Gundogan revealed how late Manchester City left the decision to offer him a contract renewal, saying, “I don’t want to go into the smallest details, but it was quite late in the season. And when it comes to a Champions League quarter-final or semi-final, as a player, you want to focus purely on sports. I didn’t know how to proceed.”

“I couldn’t plan anything. Pep’s [Guardiola] appreciation was always there, but officially the club didn’t move for a long time. Up until May there was little reason for me to want to change. Of course, the treble win was the crowning glory. But that couldn’t be planned.”

It is a shame that Manchester City let Ilkay Gundogan leave, as a new contract would have been merited for a player who remains undeniably elite.