German giants Borussia Dortmund have confirmed today that central midfielder Ilkay Gundogan will not be extending his contract at the club.
Dortmund were hopeful of securing a new deal for Gundogan, whose current deal expires in June 2016, but now they are left with no options but to sell him to the highest bidder in the transfer market. The club previously stated that they do not want a similar situation like Robert Lewandowski’s – the Polish striker joined Bayern Munich on a free transfer from Dortmund in 2014.
Gundogan has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United in recent days, while several other big clubs like Bayern Munich and Arsenal are also reportedly interested in the German midfielder.
Borussia Dortmund und Mittelfeldspieler @Guendogan8 werden nicht über den 30. Juni 2016 hinaus zusammenarbeiten. pic.twitter.com/ONvIdZesCf
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) April 30, 2015
The 24-year-old appeared only once last season due to a back injury that required surgery, and this campaign he has made 18 league appearances for Dortmund and scored three goals.
Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp once described him as an “intelligent and complete midfielder with numerous strengths.” He positional awareness is exemplary and his tactical discipline can be compared to Manchester United’s Michael Carrick, albeit Gundogan offers more mobility and creativity.
However, unlike Carrick or Ander Herrera, the German international is not known for putting in a defensive shift. He averages 1.5 tackles / game compared to 2.4 / game by Herrera, but offensively provides more threat than the former Bilbao midfielder. With an average of 1.8 shots / game, Gundogan has a natural penchant of picking through passes (1.1 key passes/ game) but at the same time he controls the tempo of the game through assured passing.
Gundogan will be a terrific signing for Manchester United and will be available at a cut price due to his expiring contract.
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