Ilkay Gundogan Seals Deal with New Club as Manchester City Gives Green Light for Transfer
İlkay Gündoğan may be preparing for another departure following reports indicating the experienced Manchester City midfielder has engaged in promising discussions with Galatasaray.
The player rejoined City during the previous summer transfer window following a one-season stint at Barcelona, featuring in 51 matches throughout all tournaments. However, with the former German national team player approaching his 35th birthday in October, his playing opportunities might become more restricted given the recent acquisitions of Nico González and Tijjani Reijnders in the past two transfer periods.
L'Équipe indicates "substantial advancement" in Galatasaray's pursuit of Gündoğan, after previously evaluating City colleague Bernardo Silva and Inter's set-piece specialist Hakan Çalhanoğlu.
A contractual arrangement between Gündoğan and the consecutive Turkish title holders is reportedly established, though he has not yet held discussions with manager Okan Buruk. Given Gündoğan's existing contract obligations, securing a transfer deal with Manchester City would also be essential.
Fortunately, this may not present significant obstacles. City historically allows players to depart when they wish, as demonstrated over time—Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling, and Leroy Sané serve as notable instances. The Guardian indicates that City, having previously requested Gündoğan to remain until season's end when Galatasaray initially approached in January, are now willing to facilitate his departure.
It's also conceivable that, despite his contract running until 2026, City might waive any transfer fee requirements.
There has consistently been speculation that Gündoğan would eventually join a Süper Lig team before concluding his playing career. Both his parents are of Turkish origin, having relocated to Germany prior to his birth, and the midfielder has previously had meetings with Turkey's long-standing president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Should a transfer materialize, Gündoğan would depart Manchester City for the second occasion, having accumulated 355 appearances for the club during his two tenures. He led City as captain during their 2022–23 treble achievement and has secured 12 significant titles across eight seasons in total.