FC Barcelona seems to be getting closer to resolving İlkay Gündoğan's future, showing the exit door to the German midfielder, just a season after signing him on a free transfer when his contract ended in the 2022/23 season. Ironically, currently, Manchester City seems to be in a better position to sign the '22' Barcelona player, under a formula that apparently would not require a large financial investment.
It's worth mentioning information disclosed by the transfer expert journalist, Fabrizio Romano, who recently revealed that the Barcelona team, facing Gündogan's imminent departure, would not object to this happening. In fact, they do not rule out letting the German go on a free transfer, foregoing any transfer fee. It was mentioned that the Catalan club could waive a significant sum for his transfer, prioritizing his exit to reduce the team's wage bill, given that 'Gündo' earns a gross salary of €18 million per season (nine net).
Toni Kroos' 'mockery' towards Barcelona for 'giving away' Gündogan
Now, Romano's surprising revelation has sparked a reaction that has reached significant levels of virality, with many interpreting it as a mockery towards Barcelona. Former Real Madrid midfielder, Toni Kroos, did not hesitate to comment on the post made on the Italian journalist's Instagram account (@fabriziorom), containing the previously mentioned information about Gündogan, with a "WOW" followed by three emojis covering the eyes.
The response to this post, which at the time of writing this article has 50,635 likes and over 1,162 replies, simply denotes an action that may be surprising to many. Although it was known that the Catalan midfielder was an asset that, due to his sporting level and outstanding market value, could be considered for the club's departure operation, what is unusual is that he could leave without Barcelona receiving any compensation, especially considering that he arrived on a free transfer last summer. If he were to be sold at a decent price, it would represent a total profit for the Blaugranas, as there are no acquisition costs to amortize. It's a rather strange move that continues to draw attention.