MY ACCOUNT
Pep Guardiola has no intention of selling Ilkay Gundogan, even if “all the great Twitter accounts” have suggested he could leave Manchester City.
Gundogan has been at the centre of online debate following claims he had held talks with Real Madrid, seemingly focused around a reported image of the midfielder heading to the Spanish capital on a private flight.
Model Sara Benamira revealed on her Instagram she and Gundogan had actually been married in Copenhagen during his time out of the country.
Guardiola was aware of that private ceremony but had no knowledge of any desire on the part of either Gundogan or the club for a transfer.
The former Borussia Dortmund man has a year remaining on his City contract.
“He asked me permission to go to Denmark or I don’t know [where] to get married,” Guardiola told reporters. “I congratulate him.
“If you ask me personally, the club, I want Ilkay next season here. There is no idea, no intention that next season he cannot be here.
“After, if he wants to leave – because… I don’t know, he’s getting married, a new experience or whatever – as a club we don’t know it.
“All the great Twitter accounts, the guys like you, said he’s going to leave, so congratulations, but I didn’t know it. Maybe you have more info than me or the club, but this is the situation right now.”
In the more immediate future, Guardiola has been boosted by the potential return of defenders Kyle Walker and John Stones for Sunday’s Premier League match against Aston Villa, where City will win the title with three points.
The England pair had previously been ruled out for the rest of the season but could now feature after a “partial” training session on Thursday.
“I have incredible doctors,” a smiling Guardiola said on Friday.
