Ilkay Gundogan Makes Up His Mind on Barcelona Future, Says Report

Turkish football club Galatasaray’s president Dursun Ozbek had disclosed last month that he would love to rope in Barcelona midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. The German international was one of the most consistent players in Barcelona last season. Gundogan arrived at Camp Nou on a free transfer after his contract with Manchester City ended last year. Gundogan failed to win a trophy at Barcelona last season and it has now been learnt that the German footballer has made up his mind about his future at Barcelona.

A report published by Mundo Deportivo claimed that Gundogan does not think about leaving the Catalan giants.

Gundogan’s current contract with Barcelona will expire in June 2025 with an option of extending his stint at the Spanish club for one more year. Gundogan reportedly enjoys a healthy relationship with Barcelona’s newly appointed boss Hansi Flick, who had offered him the captain’s armband during his short tenure with the German national team.

A couple of weeks back Gundogan was heavily linked with a move away to Galatasaray with the Turkish side’s president Ozbek naming the German as his “dream signing.” The club president even revealed that the side needs to sign around three players to compete in next season’s Champions League.

“We need to sign about three players to compete in the Champions League. Maybe it’s time to try to complete my dream signing: Ilkay Gundogan,” Ozbek said as per 90min.

Gundogan had joined Barcelona on a two-year deal. He had rejected an offer to extend his seven-season stint at Manchester City. Gundogan’s time at the Etihad came to an end after he led the reigning Premier League champions to a historic treble. In 51 matches for the LaLiga outfit, Gundogan has registered five goals and 14 assists so far.

Meanwhile, Barcelona intends to offload a number of players this summer. The Spanish club can reportedly let their Brazilian winger Raphinha go in order to complete the signing of Liverpool’s Luis Diaz as a replacement. A Mundo Deportivo report suggested that Barcelona will have to make a huge investment if they want to execute the signing of Raphinha.