SM
Watford vs. Leeds: 7 hrs 12 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Pep Guardiola insists he is "not worried" about Kevin De Bruyne's contract

:Headline: Pep Guardiola insists he is 'not worried' about Kevin De Bruyne's contract: ID:429315: from db_amp
The Belgian is currently contracted to City until 2023.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is confident Kevin De Bruyne will sign a new long-term deal at the club.

There is a new contract on the table for the Belgium midfielder, who is currently tied to City until 2023, but it is yet to be signed.

However, Guardiola is not too concerned.

"I am pretty sure he will stay but at the same time we have to respect the process," he told Sky Sports News.

Kevin De Bruyne's current contract runs until 2023 but a new deal is on the table (Laurence Griffiths/PA)

"I don't know what is going on as I didn't speak with Txiki (Begiristain, City's director of football).

"But he knows how we appreciate him, not just as a football player but as a person.

"He is very important for the club. I am not worried. But at the end of course it is his decision."

De Bruyne will be a key figure in the Carabao Cup semi-final against neighbours Manchester United at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

“ He knows how we appreciate him, not just as a football player but as a person. He is very important for the club. I am not worried.”
- Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on Kevin De Bruyne

City are bidding to win the trophy for a fourth successive season, and a sixth time in eight years, and having beaten their arch-rivals in a two-legged semi-final last season, Guardiola goes into the tie confident.

"My team won three times in a row. A semi-final for a fourth time in a row means a lot. If it would not be important we would have dropped it before," he added.

"We cannot expect it to be more difficult than it should be with the rival we are going to face.

"United was above Manchester City and for us it is an incredible honour to be, over the last decade, there with them: sometimes win, most of the times, and lose some times."

United's last trophy was the Europa League in 2017, during which time City have won the Premier League twice, the League Cup twice and the FA Cup.

However, this season Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side have racked up eight victories in a 10-match unbeaten Premier League run which has put them in a position where they can overtake defending champions Liverpool before the pair meet at Anfield on January 17 if they can secure a point at Burnley next Tuesday.

"They have always been contenders. Every year, when we start the season, United is a contender," said Guardiola.

"If it didn't happen in the last few seasons, it is a question for them. It is no different facing United or other contenders.

"That is the truth (that everyone is improving). That is what it looks like right now.

“It is about being calm, being fresh for the moment of the game, praying to not be infected by this pandemic situation around the world.”
- Pep Guardiola

"Years before it was between two, maybe three (clubs), but no more than that. Now there are many teams and everyone can win and everyone can lose.

"We will now see the consistency of every club and the ups and downs, every club has good moments and bad moments.

"As long as the competition goes on, I think the big teams are going to drop less points.

"That is the real Premier League competition where everyone can beat everyone.

"It is about being calm, being fresh for the moment of the game, praying to not be infected by this pandemic situation around the world and being fresh the moment the game starts."

On the eve of the match City paid tribute to their former midfielder Colin Bell, a club great who made 492 appearances and scored 152 goals during his 13-year stay after joining in 1966, following his death aged 74.

City said their players will all wear number-eight shirts in tribute to Bell before kick-off on Wednesday.

amp_article__429315 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2021-01-05 22:46:40:
html db last update - 2021-03-10 13:17:03 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Pep Guardiola

Click here for more stories about Manchester City

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal28204470244664
2Liverpool28197265263964
3Manchester CityMan City28196363283563
4Aston Villa29175760421856
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs28165759421753
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd28152113939047
7West Ham UnitedWest Ham2912894650-444
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2811985044642
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves28125114244-241
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle281241259481140
11Chelsea27116104745239
12Fulham29115134344-138
13Bournemouth2898114152-1135
14Crystal Palace2878133348-1529
15Brentford2975174154-1326
16Everton2887132939-1025
17Luton TownLuton2957174260-1822
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2967163551-1621
19Burnley2945202963-3417
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2835202474-5014
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .