Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has suggested a move to the United States is a genuine possibility when he leaves the Etihad stadium.
Gundogan is under contract at Manchester City until 2023 and will be 33 when his deal expires. The Germany international said he wants to assess where he is at once he reaches that age and then decide on his next move.
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“I don’t have a concrete plan,” he told the DAZN meets Kicker podcast. “But I would trust myself to play in another league abroad.
“It also depends on my form then. When I am 32, 33 and I realise that I can’t keep my level or it is dropping, it will be a stop abroad where you might not play at the highest level and not keep up with Premier League.
“If I were to say I want to leave and continue playing at a high level, only Spain or Italy would be an option for me. Italy is on the up — it has become very tempting again and I hope the stadiums fill up again too.
“But if I were to say the sporting challenge might not be that high anymore, then things like the U.S. are definitely an alternative, also because of the life there and the other opportunities you have.”
However, Gundogan also made it clear he would be happy to stay with the reigning Premier League champions beyond the end of his contract.
“I don’t see any reason to say that I am still at a top level and want to leave Manchester City,” he said. “We are playing football at an extremely high level and success is always possible here in every season.”