Manchester City have not given up hope of retaining both Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva this summer, with offers of new deals on the table for the pair.
Both midfielders – who are seen as indispensable members of the Spaniard’s squad – are believed to be on the radar of Barcelona amid uncertainty surrounding their futures.
Gundogan, who was voted captain by his teammates last year after Fernandinho left the club, sees his deal run out this summer, and he is free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs.
Meanwhile, Silva is not due to become a free agent until 2025, but Guardiola revealed last year that the Portugal international wanted to leave the club before ultimately staying.
Silva, 28, underlined his importance to the club by scoring twice against Real Madrid on Wednesday night.
Gundogan has an offer from Barcelona once his contract expires, while Silva is again attracting attention from Paris Saint-Germain.
According to The Daily Mail, Manchester City have not given up hope of retaining both Gundogan and Bernardo Silva this summer, with offers of new deals on the table for the pair.
City are in a weaker negotiating position when it comes to Gundogan, who is widely expected to walk out of the door for nothing when his contract expires in June.
The report was shared on Twitter by City Xtra and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters.
@FiveNilPodcast: “Great news. Hope we can keep either if not both for at least another season”
@Haaland_Role: “Hopefully they sign.”
@AkshatMCFC_47: “Keep at all costs”
@kwberln: “Better move than any signing”
@MCFCOK47: “Bernardo signing the contract would be better than signing anyone.”
@founded1894: “You have to offer them lifetime contracts. No other option. Build an artificial sun for Bernardo’s weather fetish.
@rmhoek: “Good, will be impossible to replace them both in 1 window. Also most new players always take time to impress, so our midfield could be a problem next year if both leave”
@ItsYanCity: “This would be better than any new signing tbh..”
@Jxles_90: “We can let go of one but not both. New players need time to adapt, maybe an entire season. Letting two players leave is a big risk for the team..”
@mbaalt8: “We need a plan for the future. We can’t keep relying on gundogan and Bernardo. Two players that want to leave. We need a succession plan so that we don’t drop off when they inevitably decline as footballers. Only way to sustain our success..”
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