Reports suggest that Manchester City may be willing to allow their club captain, Ilkay Gundogan, to leave for free in the summer transfer window.
Manchester City’s club captain, Ilkay Gundogan, could be on the move in the upcoming summer transfer window, with growing indications that the Premier League champions are unwilling to extend the German midfielder’s contract beyond two years.
Reports suggest that the £140,000-a-week maestro’s current deal is set to expire at the end of the current season, leading to speculation that he may leave the club for free.
Gundogan’s future at Manchester City has been thrown into further doubt with reports that the club may be willing to part ways with their influential midfielder, who has been instrumental in their recent Premier League title-winning campaigns.
Despite being one of the most important players at the club, the Manchester giants appear to be unwilling to commit to a longer contract, leaving the door open for other clubs to make a move for the player.
The Mirror reports , Gundogan is being closely monitored by several clubs in Germany and Spain. Additionally, Arsenal has been reported to be interested in signing the 32-year-old, with manager Mikel Arteta said to be considering another swoop for a City player, having already brought in Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from the Etihad Stadium in recent years.
While a move to North London seems unlikely at this point, City’s failure to offer Gundogan a contract extension that would extend his stay by two years could prove to be a costly error for Pep Guardiola’s side. The midfielder has been in exceptional form over the last two seasons, playing a vital role in guiding City to the Premier League title.
With the growing transfer interest in Gundogan from Germany, Spain, and Arsenal, City could be at risk of losing one of their key players for nothing when he is arguably at the peak of his career. In addition, allowing the midfielder to leave for free would enable rivals to strengthen their squad, while simultaneously robbing City of one of their best performers.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Gundogan, but if City decides to part ways with their captain, it would certainly be a significant loss for the club.
With Gundogan being courted by several top teams, his departure could signal the end of an era for the Etihad Stadium giants, who would need to find a replacement of similar quality to fill the void left by their influential midfielder.