Barcelona Open to Ilkay Gundogan’s Departure Amid Financial Challenges

Ilkay Gundogan, at 33 years old, is reportedly being allowed to consider leaving Barcelona this summer, despite having two years left on his contract. The midfielder, who joined the Catalan club from Manchester City on a free transfer, has garnered interest from clubs in England, Spain, and Saudi Arabia. Despite making 51 appearances across all competitions last season, Barcelona is not opposed to his departure, as confirmed by Barca boss Hansi Flick.

Flick, who had previously managed Gundogan with the Germany national team, expressed his admiration for the player and his hopeful stance on Gundogan’s stay at the club. However, he hinted at the complexity of the situation, possibly influenced by Barcelona’s financial challenges. The club’s reported struggles with registering new signings and their willingness to offload other players indicate the magnitude of the financial issues they are facing.

In addition to this transfer speculation, Gundogan recently announced his retirement from international football after representing Germany 82 times and captaining the team in the Euro 2020. He cited a sense of fatigue in both his body and mind as a contributing factor to this decision, indicating an overall weariness from the demands of club and national level football.

Though he described that as a “highlight”, he added: “Even before the tournament, I felt a certain tiredness in my body and also in my head, which got me thinking. And the games at club and national level are not getting any less.”