Man City star ‘considering quitting’ after Gundogan return with Guardiola ‘unwilling’ to sell

Mateo Kovacic is considering his future at Manchester City following the summer addition of Ilkay Gundogan, according to reports.

The Croatian midfielder joined Man City from Chelsea for £30million last July.

He was brought in as a replacement for Gundogan after the German joined Barcelona on a free transfer.

The 30-year-old played 46 times across all competitions for the Citizens in 2023/24, helping them win the Premier League and reach the final of the FA Cup.

Kovacic probably played a lot more than people expected him to and he has started all three of his side’s matches at the start of this season.

Matheus Nunes was also brought in to provide more midfield depth last summer but found opportunities a lot harder to come by.

The Portuguese playmaker could move to Turkey before the Super Lig’s transfer deadline on September 18 but Kovacic is not expected to do that.

He could leave in January though, with Gundogan’s minutes on the pitch expected to increase after substitute appearances against Ipswich Town and West Ham.

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Mateo Kovacic considering Man City future – reports

According to Football Insider , Kovacic ‘could quit Man City’ following the return of Gundogan .

The report from Pete O’Rourke states that if the former Chelsea star asks to leave the Etihad, he could land a ‘lucrative’ salary in Saudi Arabia in the winter transfer window.

It is noted that Pep Guardiola usually does not stand in the way of players looking to leave but in this instance, the manager ‘wouldn’t be willing to let him go’.

Nevertheless, there is a chance that Gundogan’s inevitable return to the starting XI ‘could push Kovacic out in January’ amid ‘question marks’ over his playing time moving forward.

O’Rourke claims that, despite all of this, a winter exit for the Croatian ‘would come as a surprise’.

Kovacic’s contract does not expire until 2027 so the Premier League champions will want a big fee to let him leave.

Kovacic is a four-time Champions League winner but is loving life under Guardiola.

Last November, Kovacic admitted that he wishes he could have started learning from the Spanish manager earlier in his career.

“It’s amazing and tough because [I’m learning] a lot of new things and I would have loved to come at an earlier age to learn, but it’s never too late to learn. I think like that,” he said.

“So I’m happy I can learn from him and what he tells you. I would’ve loved someone to have told me a few years ago.

“But yeah, now I can still learn and you can really tell he is fantastic.

“I’ve really enjoyed it from the first moment. It was tough the first few days to [understand] what he wants.

“‘Don’t move there. Go there’.  So I like to run a lot on the pitch sometimes. Go there. Go there. But he told me ‘be more calm, don’t run too much’.

“So it was like a little bit of surprise for me as well and it’s nice. The club you can tell from the first day is amazing. The people are great, and the city is also nice.

“Although there is a little bit more rain than in London, but I enjoy it. I feel really comfortable.

“I couldn’t miss the opportunity to come to a big club as Manchester City is and to be trained by one of the greatest managers ever.

“So I think I had to grab that opportunity and to be a better version of myself.”

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