Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan has ruled out any potential transfer to Borussia Dortmund in the summer.
As relayed by journalist Florian Plettenburg, the £20 million (Guardian) man has now made more news after a report claimed on Monday that he was ‘close to saying yes’ to joining Barcelona.
While one still remains in the dark about whether or not Ilkay Gundogan intends to renew his contract at Manchester City, the man himself has confirmed that he snubbed a return to Borussia Dortmund.
Ilkay Gundogan confirms he rejected Borussia Dortmund transfer
With the German international now being a free agent, it is not a surprise to discover that plenty of top clubs across Europe are keen on his signature.
Despite being 32, the treble-winning midfielder remains one of the best players in the world, as he showcased last season, especially when it was up to him to stand up and be counted.
However, Manchester City icon Ilkay Gundogan has said that for now, all he can well and truly confirm about his future is that a transfer to Borussia Dortmund is not in his to-do list.
“There was contact between Sebastian Kehl and my agent. I can say that. But it was not very likely. To return in the Bundesliga was not my plan.“
Ilkay Gundogan made the right decision
From a practical perspective, Manchester City fan favourite Ilkay Gundogan was right to reject a move to Borussia Dortmund.
The Bundesliga side, who perhaps should have wrapped up the league title on the final day of the season capitulated yet again, which was very on-brand from them and are unlikely to topple Bayern Munich for years to come.
For a player that is still in his prime, Gundogan should either stay put at the best team in the world or play in a league where he has not before for the experience’s sake, such as in La Liga for Barcelona.
However, it is clear to see that the five-time Premier League winner should perhaps commit his future at Manchester City, who are expected to domineer over world football under Pep Guardiola’s reign even further.
