Even a top midfielder who captained Manchester City can’t escape the lure of Middle Eastern clubs.
“Barcelona star Ilkay Gündoğan is considering a big offer from the Middle East,” Spain’s Football España reported on March 23 (KST).
The German midfielder came to prominence at Dortmund after playing for Bochum and Nurnberg. From Dortmund, he moved to Manchester City in 2016 at the behest of Pep Guardiola. He enjoyed a glorious time at City, where he was a fan favorite and even captained the club.
Ahead of the 2023-2024 season, Guindoan decided to take on a challenge. He moved to his dream club, Barcelona, for one last challenge. At Barcelona, Gündoğan was a regular starter and kept his place in the starting lineup. He played 36 league games, starting 33 of them.
But things are looking up for Guindoan ahead of next season. The new Barcelona coach, Hanzi Flick, plans to utilize younger players. The local Spanish media has also predicted that Guindoan will play a smaller role next season.
It was Qatar who took advantage of the gap between Barcelona and 메이저사이트 Guindoan. According to Football España, “Qatar’s Al Sadd have offered Guindoan a three-year contract, which he is considering accepting. It would be a substantial offer in terms of salary. Barcelona have one year left on Guindoan’s contract, with an option for a one-year extension.
In recent years, many European stars have opted to move to the Middle East, accepting huge salary offers. Guindoan was one of them. Guindoan was at a crossroads: accept a bench role at Barcelona or leave Europe for a big payday in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Kevin De Bruyne, who played alongside Guendouane at Man City, was also tempted by the Middle East.
However, it was Saudi Arabia, not Qatar. However, both Pep Guardiola and leading reporters have suggested that he is likely to stay at City until next season.
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