Man City 'to open' Ikay Gundogan contract talks and more rumours

Manchester City 'lead the race' for Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland this summer, according to reports.

On Saturday, the Manchester Evening News reported that the Blues are still cautious about the signing of the Norwegian international, but they are undoubtedly in pole position to secure his signature. Since the departure of the club's all-time highest goalscorer Sergio Agüero, City have been in the market to replace the Argentine with a clinical No.9 but were unsuccessful in their summer pursuit of Harry Kane.

It seems like Haaland is City's prime target, and reports linking him to the Etihad Stadium have grew even stronger over the weekend. Goal have reported that the Premier League champions 'lead the race' to sign the 21-year-old, with it hoped a decision on his future will be made soon. Haaland's £63 million release clause is set to become active in the summer.

Elsewhere, the Daily Star claim City are set to open talks with German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan over a new contract. The 31-year-old's deal runs out in the summer of 2023, however, it is expected the Blues will offer the midfielder a further 12 months.

Gundogan has become a key player for Pep Guardiola and was crucial in City's 2020/21 title winning campaign, scoring a phenomenal 13 Premier League goals from midfield. A new deal would likely represent his invaluable experience and high performance levels over the last few seasons.

Clubs all over Europe are reportedly interested in signing the midfielder, including Barcelona, but City have made securing Gundogan's future a priority.

Meanwhile, Gazzetta dello Sport say City are one of a host of clubs interested in signing 17-year-old midfield starlet, Mamadou Coulibaly.

AC Milan are the main