Barcelona midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has reportedly revealed his stance over a potential transfer away from Camp Nou.
Last summer, the Catalan giants convinced the legendary Manchester City player to end his trophy-laden spell at the Etihad Stadium upon the expiry of his contract.
Gundogan had hoped to be linking up with a side that would challenge Real Madrid for the La Liga title and win a trophy, yet that did not materialise during 2023-24.
The 33-year-old did emerge as a key man, however, with five goals and 14 assists coming from his 50 appearances in all competitions.
With German compatriot Hansi Flick now in charge, the expectation has been that Gundogan will continue his role in the Barcelona engine room, but that was plunged into doubt earlier this week.
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Mourinho shows Gundogan interest
A report indicated that newly-appointed Fenerbahce head coach Jose Mourinho was eager to tempt Gundogan into making the switch to Turkey.
Although he has never played any kind of football in the country, Gundogan was born to Turkish parents, making it plausible that he would entertain a move before the end of his career.
Nevertheless, according to Mundo Deportivo, representatives of Gundogan have communicated to Barcelona that they intend to stay put for the upcoming campaign.
Gundogan's agent and uncle Ilhan is said to have told club officials that there is no desire to contemplate a transfer elsewhere during the summer.
He is said to be determined to make a statement at Barcelona and seemingly win a trophy before the expiration of his contract in less than 12 months' time.
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Will the decision suit Barcelona?
While Barcelona's financial situation has improved to such an extent that they are closing in on the big-money acquisition of Dani Olmo, that is not to say that they would not have benefitted from the sale of Gundogan.
As he was signed as a free agent, any transfer fee would have gone down as pure profit in the books and provided them with extra leeway to strengthen elsewhere.
On the flipside, though, it cannot be understated the influence that Gundogan has both on and off the pitch, particularly as the second-oldest player in the dressing room.
Barcelona also have no other midfielders on their books who are older than 27 years of age, something that could prove pivotal across the course of a season.
Darren Plant
