Ilkay Gundogan Next Club Odds: Barcelona Frontrunners To Sign The German Star

The summer transfer market is officially open for business and UK betting sites expect plenty of deals to get done between now and the start of September.

One man who has been linked with a transfer for several weeks is Ilkay Gundogan, who is out of contract at Manchester City on June 30. 

The German midfielder played an integral role in City’s recent treble, and the club are keen to keep him around.

However, after seven years at the Etihad Stadium, Gundogan is considering a new challenge. 

Every club in Europe would be improved with the former Borussia Dortmund man in their ranks, so he will not be short of offers in the coming weeks.

Where will Gundogan be playing his football at the start of the 2023/24 season? Let’s consider some of the options.

From Manchester To Catalonia? Ilkay Gundogan Next Club Odds Point To Barcelona

Barcelona have been in pole position to land Gundogan for a while now, but the odds have lengthened in recent days. 

They are still strong favourites at a best price of 10/11 with football betting sites, but this is by no means a foregone conclusion.

Barcelona are said to have tabled a three-year deal as they attempt to land one of the best midfielders of his generation. 

Xavi Hernandez’s side won the La Liga title last term and Barcelona remain one of the most attractive destinations in the game, on and off the pitch.

Gundogan does seem to be considering his options however, and the fact his future is still up for grabs suggests he is not 100 per cent sold on the Blaugrana.

Exploring The Chances Of Ilkay Gundogan Staying At Manchester City

It is no secret that Man City would like to keep hold of Gundogan and are rated at 2/1 in the odds to do so. The 32-year-old is as important as ever at the Etihad, and he still has plenty to offer. 

“He knows what I think," Pep Guardiola said when asked about the situation earlier this month. “Txiki (Begiristain) is working on it. Hopefully he can be successful.”

There are two issues, though. One is the length of contract: Gundogan wants two years, but the club have only offered an additional 12 months for now. It will be interesting to see if Begiristain blinks.

The other is that, after winning the treble, Gundogan may conclude he has achieved everything he can in Manchester, and that the time has come for a new experience. 

Ilkay Gundogan Transfer Rumours: Will Arsenal Secure Him On A Free Transfer?

Arsenal prised Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko away from Man City last summer, using Mikel Arteta’s connections to land the two players. 

Had Guardiola known the Gunners would challenge for the Premier League title, he might have blocked the moves. 

The City boss will not be able to do so this time, with Gundogan free to decide his own future as his contract will soon be up. 

Arsenal look set to try their luck, but odds of 12/1 on BetVictor indicate they are outsiders in what looks like a two-horse race.

If Gundogan wants to remain in the Premier League he will probably just stay at City, where he is a guaranteed starter - unlike Jesus and Zinchenko before him.

Betting On Gundogan's Future: Exploring The Odds Of A Move To AC Milan Or PSG

The media has not reported any strong interest from clubs other than Barcelona and Arsenal, but that could yet change now that the window is open. 

Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan are two sides who may enter the race, with the teams priced at 16/1 and 33/1 with betting apps respectively.

Milan are a huge club but this would be a pretty notable step down from Manchester City. 

Still, they did reach the Champions League semi-finals and Gundogan could be sold on the idea of moving to Italy.

Whether the less competitive Ligue 1 would appeal to the German remains to be seen, but it is hard to envisage him ending up at PSG.

Exploring The Odds: Will Ilkay Gundogan Rejoin A Bundesliga Club?

Given that they routinely hoover up the best German talent, it is a little surprising that Bayern Munich do not seem to be involved in this tug of war. 

Bayern had a pretty poor season by their standards last time out (despite winning the Bundesliga) and Gundogan would improve their side.

A more romantic move would be a return to Borussia Dortmund, for whom he made 157 appearances over a five-year spell. 

Dortmund have just lost Jude Bellingham and are in the market for a midfielder, but Gundogan may feel there are better choices available. The two German clubs are each priced at 33/1 with Bet365.