Pep Guardiola debunks claims about Ilkay Gundogan leaving Manchester City

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By Martin Graham | 22nd May 2022

Pep Guardiola has debunked claims about Ilkay Gundogan leaving the club to reporters.

Reports made the rounds recently about the club opening the doors to Gundogan, who has been at the club since 2016 as Guardiola’s first signing after he became Man City manager, to leave the club.

However, Guardiola, speaking ahead of his final Premier League game which could see him win his fifth Premier League title in six seasons at the club, debunked those claims and stated that no such discussions have been held.

He said, “If you ask me personally, I want him here next season. There is no one thinking he cannot be here. If he wants to leave, as a club we don’t know it.

“All the Twitter accounts saying he will leave, I don’t know. Maybe you know more than me.”

Man City players sweep Premier League awards

Meanwhile, Manchester City have made a clean sweep of the Premier League awards for the season.

Kevin De Bruyne was awarded the season’s best player beating out competition from Tottenham Hotspur’s Heung-Min Son, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, fellow Man City man João Cancelo, Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen.

De Bruyne winning the award makes it the third straight year that a Manchester City player is winning the award after he won it in 2020 and Ruben Dias won it in 2021.

Phil Foden made away with the award for the best player under 23 also called the best young player. The 21-year-old retained his crown from last season, beating Saka and Alexander-Arnold who were also nominated for the best player award.

Chelsea’s Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher, who spent the season on loan at Crystal Palace, West Ham’s Declan Rice, Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale and Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell.

The awards were voted for by the fans, the 20 captains of the Premier League clubs and a panel of football experts.

Foden thanked his competitors after receiving the award. “I am very proud to have won this award for a second season in a row. There are so many talented young players in the Premier League and it is a real honour to win it again.”