Man City wait for Vincent Kompany return will stretch beyond summer

Vincent Kompany only left Manchester City last year but was linked with a shock return to the club this summer as part of Pep Guardiola's staff

Vincent Kompany is not expected to return to Manchester City this summer despite talks with the club this year.

The former club captain announced his departure in May 2019 after a trophy-laden 11 years at the Etihad. His presence has been missed in a season that sees Pep Guardiola and his squad almost certain to relinquish their Premier League crown.

With assistant Mikel Arteta taking the top job at Arsenal in December, the Blues are on the lookout for another member of the coaching staff and Kompany and the door will always be open for the player to return in some capacity. Reports in Belgium suggested a shock return had been mooted for the centre-back just a year after he took the ambitious job of player-coach at Anderlecht but was opted against.

As well as commitment to the Anderlecht project, it is understood that Kompany also retains the ambition of playing in the European Championships, which have now been pushed back a year to 2021. Any move back to Manchester would not be in a playing capacity, so may have to wait at least another year.

Kompany is under contract at Anderlecht until 2022 but has endured a difficult first year with the club eighth in the table when the season was curtailed, closer in points to the bottom of the table than the top.

City were able to absorb losing Guardiola's No.2 Domenec Torrent to New York City in 2018 as Arteta stepped up his role but given the struggles of the squad this season a new face could be needed in time for the new campaign.