€15m Barcelona player in the midst of the rivalry between two Turkish giants

FC Barcelona are blessed when it comes to the midfield department, thanks to La Masia and their smart purchases in the previous seasons. Currently, the Catalan club boasts a wealth of midfield talent, including Frenkie de Jong, Ilkay Gündogan, Pedri, Gavi, Fermín López, Pablo Torre, Marc Casadó, Marc Bernal, and even Andreas Christensen.

All these players will be vying for just three midfield spots on the pitch. Moreover, the potential arrival of Dani Olmo could further strengthen Barcelona’s already impressive midfield.

Of course, each name here has different attributes they excel in and have different positions they prefer to play in. One name who can play anywhere in midfield in the above list is Ilkay Gundogan, the German midfielder.

We covered a story yesterday revealing that, Jose Mourinho, the newly appointed Fenerbahce manager is very keen to unite with the ex-Manchester City superstar and has asked the club to make an effort to sign him this summer.

Furthermore, Turkish media reports suggest that Galatasaray, Fenerbahce’s eternal rivals, are also interested in signing Gundogan. This could potentially spark a tug-of-war between the two Turkish giants.

However, as per Mundo Deportivo, Galatasaray currently has no interest in the player. This could be a strategic move by Fenerbahçe to create a story that they outmaneuvered their rivals for Gündogan’s signature. The reality is that, despite previous interest, Okan Buruk’s team is not considering the 33-year-old at this time.

MD has also mentioned that Gundogan revealed previously that he has wanted to sign for Galatasaray since he was a kid and if he were to move to Turkey, it would only be to join them. This may also put Fenerbahce’s pursuit in jeopardy.

Ultimately, fans must take all these rumors surrounding Gundogan with a pinch of salt. The German is crucial to Barcelona and after the first season he had at the club, there is no reason other than a financial need to part ways with him.

Flick gave Gundogan minutes against Real Madrid from the bench, further indicating that he trusts his compatriot. The €15m-rated midfielder on his part had a dazzling cameo where his footwork left Los Blancos defenders clueless.

If Barcelona sell Gundogan this summer, they will lose a leader in the dressing room. This isn’t a sale that the club should be considering but it will be interesting to see how this transfer saga pans out in the coming weeks.