Man City icon in ‘unbelievable’ U-turn with Borussia Dortmund now dreaming of transfer reunion
In a turn of events so surprising that even the source revealing it describes it as seemingly ‘unbelievable’, Ilkay Gundogan is now being tipped to return to Borussia Dortmund when he leaves Manchester City.
Gundogan has become an icon at Man City thanks to the importance of his goal contributions. A brace on the final day of last season won the Premier League title for the club, while more recently, he got both goals in this season’s FA Cup final to earn another honour for his side.
However, the upcoming Champions League final could be his last appearance for the club. As things stand, Gundogan’s contract is due to expire at the end of the month.
While Man City would love to keep their captain, he will have some interesting offers on the table. For a while, it has looked like his main suitors are Barcelona.
But La Liga’s champions might struggle to afford Gundogan’s wages, which has opened the door to other clubs. One other contender, for example, could be Arsenal.
Despite Gundogan’s existing relationship with Mikel Arteta from when the Arsenal manager was Man City’s assistant, though, he may yet leave the Premier League behind.
And in an ‘unbelievable’ update, according to Bild, Gundogan has now become a target for his former club, Borussia Dortmund.
Man City signed Gundogan from Dortmund back in 2016 at the start of the Pep Guardiola era. Now, seven years later, he could move back in the opposite direction.
That’s because, according to Bild, Man City only want to offer him a one-year extension to his contract, whereas Dortmund would be willing to make him a two-year offer.
Gundogan to become Bellingham replacement?
The German giants are expecting to lose Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid this summer. The funds they receive from that sale might allow them to push the boat out in terms of the wages they could offer to Gundogan as his replacement.
Furthermore, the report reminds that the 32-year-old has a ‘personal connection’ with Dortmund after his previous five-year spell there. Their sporting director, Sebastian Kehl, was a former teammate of Gundogan’s.
Perhaps he could present an offer to Man City’s number eight about a return to the club.
The competition will still be fierce, though. According to Diario Sport, Barcelona could even make a three-year contract offer to Gundogan as a compromise for failing to match his wage demands.
That source also insists Arsenal are still in the race, while he could become the latest big-name player to receive a lucrative offer from a club in Saudi Arabia too.
Whichever way he goes, Man City have reportedly identified Chelsea’s Mateo Kovacic as an ideal replacement for Gundogan.
