Pep Guardiola is open to Ilkay Gundogan who lets Manchester City get up the interest in him while the Catalan is looking into his team after several arrivals in the summer transfer
Pep Guardiola has opened the door to Ilkay Gundogan who leaves after he admitted that Manchester City will have to sell players this summer. Turkish giant Galatasaray try to sign the 34-year-old Gundogan who is left for another year in his current deal at Etihad.
Stadsbaas Guardiola, who brought Gundogan back to the club last summer for a second spell, insisted that he concerns the German international in his plans for the club World Cup.
But Guardiola admitted that the team is currently too big and he will have to discharge players to create a harmonious dressing room instead of having too many big names that do not have a playing time.
When he was asked about the future of Gundogan, Guardiola said: “No news, good news. So I know nothing, I didn't speak to him, and if he won't be part, he wouldn't be here. But at the same time we – at the moment we have a long squad, too many players, so we can no longer be 26, 27 players because there would be more and a few players.
“But at the moment Ilkay is definitely a part of my mind and the team. I would like to have the players we now have the entire season. I would love it. I have no complaints about the players, how they behave.
“The problem is that they will be unhappy during the season. They will be sad, they will be disappointed. I don't want that. It is no problem for me. I have more selection and I don't like to be six, seven players, in case that there are no injuries, being at home. So I do that for them. So that's why we have to see.
“We have a long time, I would say, until the transfer window will be closed. And yes, we will see what happens step by step.”
City is also ready to unload England Paar Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish, while Fit-Again Rodri is still in full fitness again after a huge part of last season with a cross magazines with knee.
Guardiola said that Rodri's injury normally takes between “ten and twelve months” and believes that he can take another three months before he is fitness again and his games are managed in the meantime.
Guardiola, who said that Rodri will not start against Al Ain in the club World Cup on Monday evening, added: “He will be better. We will forget that it has almost been almost nine months since the sad day it has happened. He has been eliminated for a long time. He will hopefully play. He can play.