A GERMAN IS AT THE EXIT DOOR
FC Barcelona have reportedly tried to 'place' one of their stars in Saudi Arabia
Published:19/08/2024 - 16:59h
Updated:19/08/2024 - 16:59h
Rumours continue of a possible departure of Ilkay Gündogan from FC Barcelona this summer and now new information has emerged indicating that the German midfielder has been offered to Arab football
Speculation about Ilkay Gündogan's future is rife. After reports suggesting that the German midfielder has a desire to leave FC Barcelona this summer, we now know that the Blaugrana club are reportedly in talks with Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr to negotiate a possible transfer.
This is not the first time that the captain of the German national team has been linked with Arab football. At 33 years of age, he has already received interest from several teams and even Qatar's Al-Sadd has reportedly made an offer to the Barça board for his services. However, if this new proposal goes ahead, it must be approved by the player. Gündogan has reportedly spoken with Hansi Flick about his doubts about continuing in Barcelona and is open to analysing proposals to continue his career.
Let's remember that Al-Nassr has also asked Barcelona about Raphinha or Lenglet, but they have not been successful due to the players' refusal to go to play in Saudi Arabia. With the German, there might be a chance of reaching an agreement, although they would have to compete because there are already other teams interested in his services. If they decide to sell him, Barça would like to receive between 20 and 30 million euros to be able to say goodbye to him.
Saudi Arabia, England or Turkey?
Beyond the Arabs, Gündogan has expressed on several occasions his desire to play in Turkey. For this reason, teams such as José Mourinho's Fenerbahçe have expressed their interest in signing him. Although a new report from 'SPORT' indicates that Galatasaray could join the fight for his services, because its president, Dursun Özbek, is a fan of the player. Therefore, everything indicates that we could have an interesting battle in the offices.
There is also the possibility that he returns to Manchester City. Pep Guardiola would love to have his former player, although it is unlikely that the English board will join the fight for his signing. In any case, if the Blaugrana board manages to sell him this summer, it would free up a lot of salary cap, because the German is the third highest paid player in the squad (9 M€ net per season). We will have to wait to see what the midfielder's decision will be. Will he stay in Barcelona or will he say goodbye to Spain? We will find out soon.
