Coach Pep Guardiola has opened the door for Ilkay Gundogan to leave after admitting that Manchester City will have to sell players this summer. Turkish side Galatasaray are trying to sign Gundogan, who has just one year left on his contract at the Etihad.
Guardiola, who brought Gundogan back to Man City last summer, insists he values the German international in his plans for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the US.
However, the Spanish captain admitted that the number of players at Man City is too large. Therefore, he will have to sell players to create a harmonious dressing room, instead of letting too many big names off the field.
When asked about Gundogan's future, Guardiola said: "There is no news. So I didn't know anything, I didn't talk to Gundogan. We have a very tight squad, with 26 and 27 players. There will be many people who will not be able to compete, and gradually a few players may leave.
But for now, Gundogan is completely in my mind and the team. I really want to have all the players present for the whole season. I have no complaints about the players, about the way they behave. The problem is they won't be happy throughout the season. They will be sad, they will be disappointed. This is not a problem for me, because I have more options."
Man City are also preparing to sell the British player pair Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish, while Rodri is still trying to regain his best physical condition. The midfielder was absent for most of last season due to a knee cruciate ligament injury.
Guardiola said Rodri's injury usually takes 10-12 months to recover and believes he could take another 3 months to reach his best fitness. During that time, the Spaniard's appearances will be tightly managed.
Guardiola, who said Rodri would not feature against Al-Ain in the FIFA Club World Cup, added: "He is recovering. We will forget that nearly 9 months have passed since that sad day. He has been out for a long time. He is recovering.
He can play 20 minutes, 30 minutes at a time. He wants to play to help the team, but we want to protect his knee. Hopefully one day soon, he can play from the start."
Guardiola said earlier this year that he needed a larger squad. The injury storm has caused a personnel crisis for The Citizens last season. However, after bringing in 8 new contracts since January this year, Guardiola wants to reduce the squad to 24-25 people.
Man City will have a match against Al-Ain in the second round of Group G of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. In the opening match, Guardiola's side easily won 2-0 against Wydad AC.
