As Manchester City enter into 2025 on the back of a much-needed win at Leicester, two club legends will enter the final six months of their contracts when Big Ben strikes midnight on New Year's.

Ilkay Gundogan signed a one-year deal with an option of a second when he returned in the summer, but has struggled to replicate the form of 2022/23 when he was last in this position and has suffered from a lack of rotation given City's injury crisis.

Then there is Kevin De Bruyne, who has been with the club longer than Pep Guardiola and was strongly linked with an exit before the current season. The Belgian will be free to talk to overseas clubs from January 1 as he is out of contract in June, and told reporters earlier this season that he is in no rush to begin talks over his future.

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In August, he dismissed reports he had spoken to clubs in the Saudi Pro League over a lucrative move, after publicly suggesting twice over the summer that he would be tempted by a 'stupid' offer that would set up his family at this stage of his career. He has recently been linked with a move to the MLS while the Saudi links remain.

And in November he told a press conference that he had shelved talks for the time being as he focussed on recovering from his pubis injury that has plagued him since September.

Now back - albeit with niggling injury concerns from that same issue - De Bruyne told reporters on Sunday that talks still haven't begun, confirming there had been 'no movement'.

His previous comments suggest he is calm about the situation, and City have let other senior players take time to decide on their futures as well as prove their fitness and form. However, knowing clubs can present offers to De Bruyne from New Year's Day adds a new sense of urgency to the situation, even if both parties are well aware of the timelines.

Guardiola has said in the past that he would love De Bruyne to end his career at the Etihad, but added that he has earned the right to decide on his own future.