Barcelona and Juventus have both begun monitoring the situation of Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan ahead of a potential move this summer, according to a report.
The 31-year-old enters the final 12 months of his contract with the Premier League champions in the coming weeks, and despite talks recently taking place, no agreement has yet been made.
As a result, the Germany international is said to be assessing his options ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, and Bild are reporting that both Barcelona and Juventus are keeping tabs on any developments in Manchester.
The report suggests that Gundogan will avoid a swift decision on the current contract extension on the table from City, as he goes into the transfer window with an open mind ahead of any potential switch away from Pep Guardiola's side.
After seeing his opportunities limited in the closing stages of the 2021-22 campaign, Gundogan recently told the German outlet of his frustrations surrounding his playing time: "In one or the other important game, I was admittedly a little disappointed not to have played from the start without doing anything wrong in my appearances beforehand."
A move to Barcelona would be an attractive option according to the report, with the Catalan side being Gundogan's dream club since his childhood, as the midfielder goes in search of regular first-team football ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Despite his lack of minutes in the latter stages of last season, Gundogan still managed to feature 42 times for City across all competitions, scoring 10 goals and registering six assists, including a dramatic late brace on the final day of the Premier League campaign to guide City to the title.
Matthew Tranter
