Manchester City midfielder emerges as new candidate to leave the club this summer reveals Fabrizio Romano | OneFootball

Transfer market insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Ilkay Gundogan is now a candidate to leave Manchester City in the final days of the summer window.

The German midfielder’s future has been a recurring talking point throughout the summer, particularly after Manchester City’s midfield reshuffle that has seen the arrivals of Tijjani Reijnders and Nico Gonzalez in particular over the last eight months.

Those new stars have given Pep Guardiola fresh options, naturally prompting questions about Gundogan’s role moving forward. Despite seeing his contract automatically extend by one year earlier in the summer, the 34-year-old’s place at the Etihad has never felt fully secure.

Earlier this month, reports in Germany suggested Gundogan could be subject to “numerous top-level enquiries” from clubs around the world, with Sky’s Florian Plettenberg describing him as “one to watch” in the closing weeks of the market.

Turkish giants Galatasaray were credited with a particular interest and are known to have been long-term admirers of the midfielder, while speculation has also linked the player with clubs in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in Europe.

This would not be the first time City have been faced with major late-window decisions this summer. The club are already entertaining significant interest in the likes of Ederson and Manuel Akanji, while Savinho continues to be a big-name target for Tottenham.

Now, as part of his latest update on the transfer market to his YouTube audience this week, journalist Fabrizio Romano has delivered an intriguing update on the future of Ilkay Gundogan.

“Keep an eye also on Ilkay Gundogan, because for Gundogan there is a lot of interest from several countries,” Romano revealed.

“MLS, Saudi [Arabia], also from Turkey for sure, also from Europe, and so Gundogan could be one to watch in the next days, one of the players on the move in these final days and weeks of transfer window,” he continued.

The Italian journalist added, “So be attentive to the Gundogan situation, because he could be one player expected to leave Manchester City in this summer transfer window.”

If Ilkay Gundogan were to leave, it would mark the end of a decorated chapter in Manchester City’s modern history. As club captain during the 2022/23 treble-winning season, the German was central to Pep Guardiola’s success, delivering defining goals in the Premier League run-in and the FA Cup final.

His legacy is firmly cemented regardless of whether he chooses to continue in Manchester or seek a new adventure abroad.

From City’s perspective, his exit would accelerate the club’s midfield evolution. With Reijnders, Nico Gonzalez, Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki, Nico O’Reilly, and Rico Lewis all pushing for bigger roles, Gundogan’s departure could open the door for a new-look core.

At the same time, it would leave Manchester City slightly lighter in terms of leadership, given the simultaneous uncertainty around İlkay Gundogan’s senior and long-standing teammates such as Ederson.

With interest spanning Europe, the United States, and the Middle East, the coming days will be pivotal. The possibility of Gundogan making a late switch remains alive, and City fans may yet face the emotional prospect of seeing another treble-winning icon move on.