Football
ESPN 2y

LIVE Transfer Talk: Ilkay Gundogan ready to leave Manchester City

The summer transfer window is approaching, and there's plenty of gossip swirling about who's moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings and goings and, of course, done deals!

TOP STORY: Gundogan told he can leave City

Manchester City look set to part ways with Ilkay Gundogan in the summer, with the midfielder informed that he can leave the Etihad Stadium when the transfer window reopens, according to the Daily Mail.

The 31-year-old will enter the final year of his contract in June, and despite previous reports suggesting that City would look to reward his form with a new deal, it now looks as though they are ready to move on from the Germany international.

While he has made 20 Premier League appearances this season, Gundogan is at the point of his career where he wants to be assured of a place in the starting lineup each week, and manager Pep Guardiola would be unable to promise that over the course of a long-term contract.

That means agreeing a new deal is unlikely, leaving Gundogan, who joined Manchester City in 2016, considering potential suitors away from the club.

- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
- Don't have ESPN? Get instant access

LIVE BLOG

21.55 BST: Gabriel Jesus will take time before deciding on his next club, writes the Sun. The 25-year-old forward is expected to leave Manchester City in the summer, with Pep Guardiola's side set to welcome Erling Haaland next season. It is reported that Arsenal remain in the running for the Brazilian's signature despite taking a blow to their Champions League qualification hopes on Monday, with their fate now dependent on whether Tottenham Hotspur slip up against Norwich City on the last day of the season.

21.33 BST: Valencia are eyeing a potential move on a short-term contract for Levante winger Jose Luis Morales, reports Marca. While the 34-year-old has recently suggested that he is not seeking an exit from the Granotes, Los Che will still look to tempt him with a move across town to the Mestalla on a free transfer following Levante's relegation.

21.11 BST: Barcelona president Joan Laporta says painful player sales will not be necessary to pull off a big summer signing if they close a series of financial agreements they are working on before the end of June. Frenkie de Jong has been linked with a move away from Camp Nou to raise money, while sources have confirmed Barca are interested in signing Robert Lewandowski, who confirmed his desire to leave Bayern Munich last weekend. Read the full story.

20.49 BST: Jose Mourinho has made contact with Nemanja Matic, with hopes of persuading the Manchester United midfielder to join AS Roma, according to Calciomercato. Despite having a year left on his contract at Old Trafford, the 33-year-old is looking to leave the club in the summer, and is open to a potential reunion with his former manager in Serie A.

20.16 BST: Chelsea have identified VfB Stuttgart wing-back Borna Sosa as a potential replacement for Barcelona-linked Marcos Alonso, reports Bild's Christian Falk. The 24-year-old Croatia international's performances in the Bundesliga this season saw him on the radar of a number of Premier League sides in January, and amid growing interest from the Camp Nou in Alonso, it looks as though Thomas Tuchel is making sure that there is a quick solution lined up on the left flank.

19.43 BST: Sporting Kansas City have joined the race to sign Derby County midfielder Tom Lawrence, writes Football Insider. The 28-year-old is expected to leave the Rams when his contract expires in June, and that has also seen interest from Burnley and Norwich City emerge over the past month, but the latest indicates that he will now have an option from MLS to consider.

19.10 BST: Joao Pedro's future at Cagliari could depend on whether they remain in Serie A, reports Corriere dello Sport. Lazio and Fiorentina have shown interest in the 30-year-old forward, who is willing to leave if his side are relegated from Italy's top division. Cagliari are two points behind Salernitana, leaving their fate out of their hands as they look to secure three points against Venezia on Sunday.

18.37 BST: Newcastle United remain interested in Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who is willing to make the switch to St. James' Park, according to the Manchester Evening News. The 25-year-old is keen to leave Old Trafford to earn regular minutes in an effort to earn a place in the England squad at the World Cup later this year, having made no appearances in the Premier League this season. It is reported that it is more likely that he will leave on loan, given that his Man United contract runs until 2025.

18.04 BST: Barcelona could begin negotiations with Sevilla in hopes of landing defender Jules Kounde, writes Mundo Deportivo. Manager Xavi Hernandez is reported to be keen on the 23-year-old, and that could set up a bidding war between the Blaugrana and Chelsea in the summer, with the Blues set to make him one of their main targets in the next transfer window.

17.31 BST: Manchester United have identified VfB Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic as a contingency option if they are not able to land Darwin Nunez of Benfica, reports the Mirror. The 24-year-old Austria international has found himself on the radar of Bayern Munich, but now the Bundesliga champions could face competition from the Red Devils, with new manager Erik ten Hag keen to reinforce his forward options when he takes over at Old Trafford.

16.58 BST: Barcelona and Arsenal are both interested in signing Ilkay Gundogan, following reports that he has been told he can leave Manchester City in the summer, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 31-year-old Germany midfielder's openness to a move to north London reportedly could depend on whether they secure Champions League football for next season, with the Gunners sitting two points out of the top four ahead of the final day of the campaign.

16.25 BST: Barcelona will not move for Benfica left-back Alejandro Grimaldo this summer but could reignite their interest in Valencia's Jose Luis Gaya, per Mundo Deportivo.

Former Barca B defender Grimaldo, who has a contract in Portugal until 2023, had been linked with a return to Camp Nou, but the club have decided to focus on other objectives, with Gaya among them.

Like Grimaldo, Gaya is out of contract in 2023 and a series of leaked audios this week have revealed Valencia president Anil Murthy would be willing to let the Spain international leave at the end of the season.

Barca's plans this summer will be heavily influenced by their financial situation, though. So while they are seeking competition for Jordi Alba at left-back, they don't want to make a huge financial outlay in that position when they have more pressing needs elsewhere.

15.43 BST: Paul Pogba could return to Serie A this summer.

14.58 BST: Paris Saint-Germain have given up on keeping Kylian Mbappe at the club next season and expect the forward to announce a free transfer move to Real Madrid imminently, sources have told ESPN.

There are still some details to be sorted out between Mbappe's attorney and LaLiga champions Madrid, but nothing that would prevent the deal from happening, sources added.

PSG were confident of Mbappe staying as recently as last week, sources said, and they tried everything they could to convince the 23-year-old, who was voted Ligue 1 player of the season by his peers for a third season in a row, to remain with the club after five years at the Parc des Princes.

They offered Mbappe a huge new deal, promised him a better squad for next season, offered him the captain's armband and 100% of his own image rights, according to sources.

14.34 BST: Raul De Tomas will only leave Espanyol this summer if his €70m release clause is met, says club CEO Mao Ye.

De Tomas, 27, is a reported target of Sevilla and has been linked in the past to Real Madrid and Barcelona. The Spain international has scored 17 goals in 34 league appearances for Espanyol this season.

"Our idea is that he continues because he scores many goals for Espanyol," Mao Ye said. "But €70m could be a good figure to continue to build the team. I cannot speculate right now because I can assure you there's nothing [offer] on the table."

De Tomas joined Espanyol from Benfica in the summer of 2019 for €20m and has a contract with the Barcelona-based club until June 2026.

14.06 BST: The Daily Telegraph says that Manchester City right-back Lucy Bronze is keen on a move to the United States after her contract ends this summer.

Bronze, 30, was the winner of the 2020 FIFA Best Player of the Year award and helped City win the delayed 2020 FA Cup, as well as this season's League Cup. She played in Sunday's 2022 FA Cup final defeat to Chelsea but the report claims she "wants to experience playing in the NWSL while she remains at the top level of her career."

The England international's sporting rights in NWSL are reportedly owned by Kansas City, which means that any interested clubs would have to negotiate with them first.  

13.50 BST: Manchester City have confirmed that striker Georgia Stanway has joined Bayern Munich on a three-year deal.

Stanway, 23, joined City in 2015 as a 16-year-old and went on to make 186 appearances in all competitions, winning seven trophies during that time.

13.33 BST: Barcelona hope to find new homes for defenders Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet as the club ramp up plans for next season after sealing a top two finish in LaLiga, Diario Sport reports.

Umtiti and Lenglet are both out of favour under coach Xavi Hernandez, with Gerard Pique, Ronald Araujo and Eric Garcia all ahead of them in the pecking order, while Chelsea centre-back Andreas Christensen is due to arrive on a free transfer at the end of the season.

After missing the second half of the season injured, Umtiti is fit again and Barca believe he will agree to go out on loan after signing a new contract on reduced wages until 2026 earlier this year.

Barca are less optimistic when it comes to Lenglet. They think his high salary will put off interested clubs, although they're hopeful his desire to play regular minutes ahead of the World Cup will see him agree to an exit this summer.

12.47 BST: Dani Alves, who turned 39 earlier this month, could be handed a contract extension at Barcelona to take him up to the World Cup in Qatar at the end of the year.

Alves returned to Barca for a second spell at the club earlier this season and has made 16 appearances in all competitions. Coach Xavi Hernandez has said he would be happy to keep him around the squad and Diario Sport says new terms are being discussed.

The Brazil international could sign on for an additional six months, allowing him to compete at a high level until the World Cup in November. Barca would then have to decide whether to extend the agreement until the end of the season or to look to sign another right-back in January.

Alves has been competing for a place with U.S. international Sergino Dest, who is currently injured, while versatile midfielder Sergi Roberto is also an option at right-back.

12.32 BST: Club America are in negotiations with Real Betis to secure the loan of Mexico international Diego Lainez ahead of next season.

The 21-year-old winger is open to returning to his former club in Mexico for six months in order to regain his best form ahead of the 2022 World Cup in November.

However, America would still have to convince Betis as the Spanish side would prefer to loan the player to a European team to continue his development.

12.02 BST: Will Bayern lose Robert Lewandowski this summer?

11.13 BST: Barcelona will pay up to €35m to land Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski this summer, according to Mundo Deportivo, with the two clubs set to meet as early as this week.

Lewandowski, 33, has told Bayern that he will not extend his contract with the German club, which expires in 2023, and asked them to listen to any offers that arrive.

Sources have confirmed to ESPN that Barca are interested in signing the Poland international if a deal can be struck, but the latest reports say they have set a limit on how much they are willing to spend.

Considering Lewandowski's age and the fact he is moving into the final year of his deal, Barca will not pay more than €35m for him, per Mundo Deportivo, who add that the Catalan club could look to include a player to bring the price down.

One of the players Barca would be willing to send in the other direction is Memphis Depay, who also has just 12 months left on his contract and could be made available for a transfer this summer after just one season at Camp Nou.

10.41 BST: Gareth Bale's future will depend on Wales qualifying for the World Cup, according to his agent.

Bale, 32, has not been offered a contract extension and will leave Real Madrid this summer when his contract expires.

The winger has made only seven appearances across all competitions for Madrid since returning from a season-loan spell at Tottenham last summer. Reports claim that if Wales win their World Cup playoff against either Scotland or Ukraine next month, Bale will attempt to find a new club on a short-term contract to play in the Qatar tournament before retiring from football, with Championship side Cardiff linked.

"He leaves Real Madrid, but we have to wait to see what Wales are able to do," Bale's agent Jonathan Barnett told in Record. "It all depends on whether Wales qualify for the World Cup. Then we will decide... Is he more likely to return to England? I think so, but we'll have to wait and see if Wales qualifies for the World Cup."

10.05 BST: Juventus have reached a verbal agreement to extend defender Matthijs de Ligt's contract, according to  Sky Italia.

De Ligt, 22, signed for Juve in the summer of 2019 from Ajax in a €75m transfer. He has played in 116 games for Juve and, despite his young age, has made 35 appearances for Netherlands already.

With his contract expiring in 2024, and Barcelona rumoured to be interested in signing him, the Turin giants have reportedly offered De Ligt a two-year contract extension which would keep him at Juve through 2026.

09.24 BST: Palmeiras have reached an agreement with Brazilian starlet Endrick to sign his first professional contract, sources have told ESPN's Brasil's Francisco De Laurentiis and Daniel Bocatto.

Endrick, who has been monitored by Real Madrid and other top European clubs for the past few years, will sign his contract on July 21 once he turns 16. The striker will sign a three-year contract with Palmeiras and a release clause will be set.

Endrick has stood out since arriving to Palmeiras in 2019. He has progressed from the youth ranks and is expected to train with the first team once he turns 16.

08.41 BST: Sporting Lisbon have activated the option to sign Spanish right-back Pedro Porro from Manchester City on a permanent basis.

Porro, 22, joined for around £5.5m in 2019 from City's sister club Girona. He was immediately loaned to Real Valladolid for the season and then joined Sporting on loan in 2020 for a two-year spell, with an option to sign him permanently included in the deal.

Sporting did not confirm the transfer fee they have paid City to sign Porro but said in a statement that the Spain international has penned a contract with Sporting until 2025 and a €45m release clause has been set.

"I'm very happy," Porro said. "When I came here, I knew I was coming to a great club, but I didn't expect to have achieved what I've done in these two years and to have created the family, the strong group, that we have now. From the beginning, my aim was to help Sporting CP, where I knew that the demand is of a high level. It's a big club and I'm very happy to continue."

08.00 BST: Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe has said he is "almost" ready to announce where he will play next season as Real Madrid continue to chase his signature.

The 23-year-old's contract at PSG expires this summer, although head coach Mauricio Pochettino said last month he is "100% sure" that Mbappe sign a new contract at the club.

Sources told ESPN that positive talks between PSG president Nasser al Khelaifi and Mbappe's representatives took place in Doha last month with the club confident they can persuade him to stay in Paris, despite Madrid's interest.

Speaking at the UNFP awards, where he was named Ligue 1 Player of the Year for the third consecutive season, Mbappe said: "It will be known very soon, it's almost done. My decision is made, yes, almost.

"Why was I so slow? You have to respect all parties. I know that people expected a lot from me. That's normal. I'm in a hurry too. But it's not only about me. But here it is, it's finished right now, there are just some details left."

PAPER GOSSIP (by Adam Brown)

- Kylian Mbappe's future is becoming clearer, with the Athletic reporting that the Paris Saint-Germain striker has agreed personal terms with Real Madrid. The France international's future has been up in the air since failing to agree a new deal at the Parc des Princes, and after suggestions that he was yet to make his final decision last week, the latest now indicates that the 23-year-old has decided on the Santiago Bernabeu as his next destination.

- Aston Villa are willing to meet Boubacar Kamara's salary demands, writes Ekrem Konur. The Premier League side have been tracking the 22-year-old midfielder in recent months, with his Marseille contract set to expire in June, and it looks as though they could now make an approach to secure his services. He is reportedly looking for a salary of around £150,000-per-week.

- Xavi Hernandez has no intentions of letting Frenkie De Jong leave Camp Nou amid interest from Manchester United, according to Sky Sports Germany. The 25-year-old's midfielder's future has been linked away from Barcelona in recent weeks, with reports that Erik ten Hag wanted to bring him to Old Trafford, though the Blaugrana's stance suggests that he will remain in LaLiga.

- Chelsea are ready to make a move for Robert Lewandowski if his switch from Bayern Munich to Barcelona doesn't materialise, reveals the Guardian. The 33-year-old Poland international striker looks to be eyeing a new challenge in the summer, and that has seen the Blaugrana race to the front of the queue in the contest for his signature. Should that move stall, Thomas Tuchel is expected to activate a pursuit with hopes of persuading him to head to Stamford Bridge for around €35m.

- Palmeiras prospect Endrick has signed his first professional deal with the club, with a contract that includes a £60m release clause, says Fabrizio Romano. The 15-year-old Brazil youth international has signed a three-year deal with the Brasileiro Serie A side, where his progress is being watched from a number of top clubs from across Europe.

^ Back to Top ^