Barcelona were handed a shock when PSG came in and hijacked the deal for Georginio Wijnaldum. Now that the Dutchman has signed for the Parisian side, the Blaugrana may look at other midfield alternatives in the market. Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan was thought to be another target.
Manchester City cantered to the Premier League title after early hiccups in the season. Pep Guardiola’s men also won the Carabao Cup and came agonizingly close to winning the UEFA Champions League. One of the star performers for the Cityzens was Gundogan, who ended up being the club’s top scorer in the recently concluded season with 17 goals, despite being a midfielder.
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Similar to Wijnaldum, Gundogan is known to make runs in the box and offer midfield solidity. The German’s credentials make him a solid option for Barcelona. He has more in the locker than Wijnaldum and Barca looking at Gundogan made perfect sense.
Manchester City are planning to upgrade their squad and will make player sales to buy a traditional striker with Harry Kane as one of the prime targets. The Premier League champions are looking to raise 80 million euros through player sales but sadly Gundogan is not on the list.
Manchester City have no intention to sell Barcelona target Ilkay Gundogan
According to Sky Sports, Manchester City have no intention to sell Ilkay Gundogan this summer. There were reports that Manchester City are uncomfortable with Gundogan delaying extension talks but Sky Sports reports state that the club is content with the contract situation.
The 30-year-old has two years left on his deal ta Etihad and there were no plans to start discussions over a new deal this summer. The German was the first signing of the Guardiola era and has excelled since coming to England in 2016. Now, he hasn’t been an undisputed starter since the start but his importance and impact has grown over the years.
Barcelona have a well stacked midfield with Sergio Busquets and Frenkie de Jong being the leaders in the engine room. Ilaix Moriba has left everyone by surprise due to his rapid development and rise. Miralem Pjanic could possibly leave Barca with the club looking to cash in on him to generate capital and lighten the load on the wage budget.
The Blaugrana may want to sign another central midfielder and the name of AS Roma midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini is also attracting attention.
Does Barca need another central midfielder?