Ilkay Gundogan missed FC Barcelona’s season opening win at Valencia, due to injury. Turns out, there was something else going on at the same time with that. The German midfielder sat out on Saturday for precautionary reasons, as he’s not thought to have any serious fitness issue.
Gundogan reportedly wants out of Barcelona and the Catalan Club are looking to let him leave.
A return to Manchester City could be in the cards. While he left City just over a year ago, he enjoyed his time there, where he often served as club captain.
Pep Guardiola could use him as cover for the midfield maestro named Rodri.
Gundogan, 33, just doesn’t fit in at Barca, who are going with more of a youth movement in the middle of the park.
Plus jettisoning him would help alleviate some of the concerns with their very hefty wage bill.
Meanwhile over at City, there could be some some more opportunities for playing time. Oscar Bobb is now out several months, due to injury.
Man City will face plenty of competition to sign Gundogan, however, as The Guardian notes “there is interest from Turkey and Saudi Arabia.”
According to other outlets covering this developing story, more than one club from the Saudi Pro League have expressed their interest in Gundogan.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.