Man City boss Guardiola to let midfielder leave after six years at club

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola will undoubtedly be keeping an eye on the action unfolding at St. Mary’s on Tuesday, as Liverpool travel to face Southampton. 

The Citizens currently hold a four-point lead over the Reds, and will be crowned champions for a sixth time if Jurgen Klopp’s side lose on the south coast.

If the Reds win, however, it will mean that the Premier League title will be decided on the final day of the season, when City play Aston Villa and Liverpool face Wolves.

Guardiola will be focussed solely on adding another top flight title to his illustrious trophy collection, although the Spaniard has made a surprise decision over the future of one of his current crop of players.

As per The Daily Mail, midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has been told he is free to leave the club this summer.

Gundogan has been told he can find another club a year before his contract is due to expire

The 31-year-old, who was Guardiola’s first signing as City boss, has just over a year left on his current contract, but now looks set to depart The Etihad this summer as opposed to next.

The Germany international has only started 20 Premier League games this season and is intent on increasing that figure next term, but with the abundance of talent at his disposal, Guardiola cannot make any guarantees.

Gundogan arrived in Manchester for a fee of £21 million in 2016, and has since made more than 250 appearances for the club across all competitions.

The ex-Borussia Dortmund man was spotted boarding a private jet on Monday morning, during a two-day break given to the City squad ahead of their final day showdown with Villa.

If he does leave this summer, Gundogan will depart the Premier League as the division’s most successful German in history, having won four league titles and scored 34 goals.

Spanish giants Real Madrid were interested in a move for the midfielder when he was playing for Dortmund, but it is not yet known whether or not they still hold an interest in the player.