Manchester City are reportedly willing to part ways with Ilkay Gundogan this summer
- Sounak Sinha
- Jun 26
- 2 min read
Manchester City are reportedly open to letting go of their ageing veteran, Ilkay Gundogan, after the FIFA Club World concludes, despite the German midfielder having made an astonishing return to the club only six months ago.
Following the departure of Kevin De Bruyne, Pep Guardiola and co. have made multiple signings in order to re-strengthen their struggling midfield while to secure the club's future, bringing in players like Tijjani Reijnders and Ryan Cherki.
While these arrivals are seen as a major boost for City, it would adversely affect the roles of some of the veteran players in the squad, with Gundogan surely being one of them.
As a result, Gundogan and his camp have started to explore their options, with Turkish champions Galatasaray emerging as a possible next destination for the 34-year-old, who are reportedly aiming for a move for the Man City veteran.
Why could Manchester City sell Ilkay Gundogan?
While there were reports from Yahoo Sports claiming that Ilkay Gundogan is close to triggering an extension clause in his Manchester City contract to keep him at the club into next season, there is a completely different narrative that is emerging now.
There is no doubt that Gundogan is one of the most decorated midfielders in Manchester City's history, but his recent performances haven't been up to the mark and do not justify his illustrious legacy with the Premier League giants.
The 34-year-old returned to Man City in search of a successful second spell; however, it seems like things didn't happen as Gundogan and even the fans would have hoped for. As a result, Pep Guardiola and co. are reportedly willing to part ways with the German midfield maestro.
On top of that, the German international will turn 35 in October, which appears to be another factor influencing his departure, as age has always been a crucial condition for Pep Guardiola while choosing his squad for a new season.
Acknowledging the age factor while also possibly hinting at a potential departure, Gundogan recently said, 'There seems to be a trend at the moment in football where people are saying, "The player is too old, or another one cannot run any more." (sic)
He further added, "You need experienced players on the pitch. I know that when I was 18 or 19, I was looking up to those experienced players. Just by watching what they did – and how they did it – I learnt. It wasn’t always necessary for them to say anything. All young players need some experience around them. Sometimes you don’t have to work harder but work smarter.” (sic)
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