FC Barcelona faces the risk of losing its veteran German star Ilkay Gundogan after just one season with the team, due to an enticing offer from Qatari club Al-Sadd for his services in the current summer transfer window.
The 33-year-old Gundogan joined Barcelona last summer on a free transfer after his contract with his previous club, Manchester City, ended. He signed with the Catalan club on a deal that runs until 2025, with an option to extend for another year.
According to Spanish channel "TV3," the German is considering a significant offer from Al-Sadd for a three-year contract to join a team that previously included Xavi Hernandez, the former coach of Barcelona, as well as players like Raul Gonzalez and Santi Cazorla.
The Spanish channel indicated that the German midfielder could leverage the Qatari offer to negotiate better contractual terms with Barcelona. However, due to the financial crisis facing the Catalan club, this possibility seems unlikely.
The report clarified that if Al-Sadd makes a lucrative financial offer for Gundogan this summer, it could yield some unexpected benefits that would help Barcelona somewhat remedy its financial situation, especially since the German player joined the team for free.
Gundogan had a good season with Barcelona, despite the team finishing without any titles during the 2023-2024 season. He was one of the influential players within the team, which motivated the Qatari club to present its offer for him this summer.
During the last season, Gundogan contributed to Barcelona by scoring 19 goals in 51 matches, netting 5 goals and providing 14 assists. The Barcelona star also led the German national team in the recent UEFA Euro 2024 held in Germany, before their exit in the quarter-finals against the titled Spanish team, losing 2-1.
