Galatasaray agree on contract for Manchester City star | OneFootball

In the past few days, Ilkay Gundogan has reportedly made significant progress on exiting the Etihad Stadium and swapping Manchester City for Galatasaray.

The German midfielder made an emotional return to the English top-flight just last year after spending one season with FC Barcelona in La Liga – a term in which he failed to bring home any silverware.

This drought would continue into the 2024/25 campaign with Manchester City, as the former Germany international registered a largely unexpected 50 appearances across competitions, combining for 10 goal contributions.

While Gundogan had to share midfield with figures such as Kevin De Bruyne, James McAtee, Mateo Kovacic, Rodri, and new January signing Nico Gonzalez, it appears as though he will now have to compete with a few more faces for time on the pitch.

That comes after a bold approach to the ongoing summer market in time for the start of the FIFA Club World Cup, as director of football Hugo Viana added Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders to their midfield ranks.

As such, it would come as no shock to now see Gundogan want out of the current squad in search of a fresh challenge, working hand-in-hand with Manchester City’s belief in wanting to slim down their first-team numbers.

In a significant breakthrough over the last few days, there have reportedly been contract negotiations with Turkish giants Galatasaray involving Ilkay Gundogan that have culminated in an agreement between the two parties, as reported by French newspaper L’Equipe.

The report notes that despite all parties being in agreement on the player’s side, it is certainly not enough to fully seal a move for the 34-year-old, as the veteran has yet to talk to Cimbom manager, Okan Buruk due to his participation at the Club World Cup with Manchester City.

News of a potential agreement between the two comes only a few days after it was reported that the Cityzens could reject any move made for the German, as he could help provide experience for the ensemble.

However, Pep Guardiola’s firm demand on reducing numbers to ensure consistent game time can be offered to his existing options have perhaps forced the issue, or an opportunity to join a club of such prestige at his stage of career is maybe too good to turn down.

One thing is for certain that Manchester City will not need a replacement for Gundogan, and may even look to release the player from his contract at the club as a mark of respect for his work across two separate spells at the Etihad Stadium.