In a twist of occasions so unexpected that even the source showing him describes it as probably “unbelievable”, Ilkay Gundogan now intends to return to Borussia Dortmund when he leaves Manchester City.
Gundogan has an icon at Man City thanks to the importance of his contributions in goal. A double on the final day of last season earned the Premier League name for the club, while more recently he scored two goals in this season’s FA Cup final to deserve some other honour for his team.
However, the upcoming Champions League final may be his last appearance with the club. As it stands, Gundogan’s contract will expire at the end of the month.
While Man City would like to remain their captain, they will have some attractive offers on the table. For a time, their main contender was Barcelona.
But the La Liga champions would likely struggle to pay Gundogan’s salary, which has opened the door to other clubs. Another competitor, for example, can also be Arsenal.
Despite Gundogan’s existing appointments with Mikel Arteta from Arsenal assistant manager Man City he can still leave the Premier League behind.
And in an “incredible” update, according to Bild, Gundogan now has a target for his former club, Borussia Dortmund.
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Man City signed Gundogan from Dortmund in 2016 at the start of the Pep Guardiola era. Now, seven years later, it could return in the opposite direction.
In fact, according to Bild, Man City only need to offer him a one-year extension of his contract, while Dortmund would be in a position to make him a two-year offer.
The German giants hope to lose Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid this summer. The budget they get from this sale may allow them to get the ship out in terms of the salary they can offer Gundogan as a replacement.
In addition, the report recalls that the 32-year-old has a “personal connection” with Dortmund after his five-year stay there. Its sporting director, Sebastian Kehl, former Gundogan teammate.
Maybe he can only make an offer to Man City’s number 8 in relation to a return to the club.
The festival will continue to be fierce. According to Diario Sport, Barcelona could even offer a three-year contract to Gundogan as a commitment for not meeting his salary demands.
The source also insists Arsenal are still in the running, although they may be the last major player to get a lucrative offer from a Saudi club.
Whatever his direction, Man City would have known Chelsea’s Mateo Kovacic as an ideal replacement for Gundogan.