Pep Guardiola wants Ilkay Gundogan to STAY at Man City as he continues to be linked with Arsenal
PEP GUARDIOLA wants Ilkay Gundogan to stay at Manchester City next season.
Reports early this week suggested the Germany international midfielder has been told he can leave the Etihad in the summer with Arsenal believed to be keen.
Gundogan has just one year remaining on his contract and there are no plans to offer him a new deal.
And City could also be on the look-out for a new central midfielder this summer.
But Guardiola says he is in no rush to push the 31-year-old – who took advantage of a couple of days off to get married this summer – out of the door.
He said: “He had permission to go to Denmark, I congratulate him.
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“I want him next season here, there’s no intention for him not to be here.
“Now he’s married he might want a new experience.
“All the great twitter accounts, say he’s going to leave but I didn’t know it. That’s the situation right now.”
Meanwhile Guardiola will give defensive duo John Stones and Kyle Walker until the last minute to prove they are ready to play on Sunday.
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The England pair were initially ruled out for the rest of the season by the manager but took part in training for the first time on Wednesday.
Stones has had a hamstring twinge while Walker suffered an ankle problem in the Champions League exit at Real Madrid.
Guardiola said: “They recovered to make a partial training we’ll see tomorrow but it’s good to have them back.”