La Liga heavyweights Barcelona have reportedly cooled their interest in Manchester City midfield general Ilkay Gundogan.
According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Barcelona will not pursue Ilkay Gundogan in the summer transfer window. The Catalan giants have ruled out signing the Manchester City midfield general, even though he might potentially be a free agent at the end of the season.
Ilkay Gundogan arrived at Manchester City along with Pep Guardiola. And the German midfielder has been a go-to player for the former Barcelona manager in the half a dozen years. In particular, his stature has increased in the last couple of seasons after adding goals to his game.
The 32-year-old has enjoyed a solid 2022/23 campaign thus far after becoming the club captain for Manchester City. And he has chipped in with two goals and two assists in 21 appearances thus far. But Gundogan’s contract situation has left Manchester City in a spot of bother while capturing the attention of Barcelona.
Barcelona will delve into the market for a midfield reinforcement amid Sergio Busquets’s waning performance levels. The veteran midfielder is approaching the end of his glittering career and has not been consistent in the last few years. And Busquets might leave Barcelona in the summer amid rising uncertainties surrounding his future. Gundogan has thus emerged as a viable target.
Recent reports even claimed that the Manchester City midfield general had become a priority for Barcelona. And the interest in the 32-year-old is understandable, considering he has been top-notch lately. In addition, his potential free agent status aligns with Barcelona’s miserly budget.
But Barcelona will not sign the German international after ruling out a summer move. While Xavi Hernandez admires the Manchester City captain, the Blaugrana will prioritise signing Martin Zubimendi. In addition, another Manchester City midfielder, Bernardo Silva, no longer features in Barcelona’s plans.
Meanwhile, Gundogan seems likely to sign a new contract with Manchester City, extending his stay at the Etihad. As for Barcelona, it will be interesting to see if the Catalan giants will sign their top targets next year after ruling out a move for Gundogan.
