Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan is poised to re-enter contract negotiations with the back-to-back Premier League champions in the next few days.
The Germany international has entered the final year of his contract and has kept the Citizens waiting since last December on whether he will agree a new four-year tie-up.
Boss Pep Guardiola is desperate for the 28-year-old to stay but will likely be forced into a sale if the stalemate is not broken in the next few weeks.
Gundogan is happy in Manchester but is seeking long-term security, heading into his peak years, rather than strong-arming his employers for an improvement to his current £130 000-per-week package.
The former Borussia Dortmund schemer certainly underlined his importance during the recent title run-in, starting in 13 of City's 14-game winning sequence, which secured a second successive Premier League trophy.
Gundogan is favourite to start Saturday's FA Cup final against Watford at Wembley despite Fernandinho fighting to be fit and Kevin De Bruyne also back in the mix.
There is a feeling at City that the German has enjoyed the responsibility of the last few months and common ground can still be found to retain his services.
