Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola is reportedly determined to keep hold of central midfielder Ilkay Gundogan beyond the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
The 31-year-old has entered the final 12 months of his contract at Etihad Stadium, but it is understood that there have not yet been discussions over an extension.
According to The Sun, Guardiola wants to keep hold of the German, while the club are also planning to extend his deal, but the midfielder will have to be patient when it comes to contract talks.
The report claims that Borussia Dortmund are keen to re-sign Gundogan, but Man City are confident that they will be able to sign him to a new deal, even if discussions do not begin until the new year.
The midfielder joined the Citizens from Dortmund in July 2016, and he has represented the club on 254 occasions in all competitions, contributing 50 goals and 33 assists in the process.
Gundogan has also been an important player for Man City in the early stages of the new Premier League season, scoring once in two appearances, while he also featured in the Community Shield against Liverpool.
The midfielder played 78 minutes of his side's 2-0 win over West Ham United on the opening weekend of the new campaign before featuring for 65 minutes against Bournemouth on Saturday.
Gundogan has been named captain of the Premier League champions this season and recently took to social media to reveal his delight at being handed the armband.
"Proud to be the captain of this amazing team and this great club. I've already worn the armband before, but to be named the official captain for the 1st time is really a big honour. I will continue to give everything on and off the pitch to make this a very successful season," he wrote on Twitter.
Speaking earlier this summer, Gundogan revealed that he would sit down with Guardiola's side "in due course" to discuss a possible contract extension.
"We will sit down together in due course and exchange our ideas and plans, and then we will see what comes out of it," the German told Kicker.
"Football-wise, there is certainly still no better address than Manchester City under Pep Guardiola, and I think that will hardly change in the next few years.
"Of course, I would have liked to play a little longer in one or two important games over the last few months. That's not a secret. I am a player who always wants to play."
Man City will be bidding to make it three straight wins at the start of the new Premier League season when they travel to Newcastle United on August 21.
The Citizens have three more league games before the end of the month, also taking on Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest at Etihad Stadium before visiting Aston Villa on September 3. body check tags ::
