Barcelona coach Xavi has dismissed rumors that Ilkay Gundogan could be moving to Saudi Arabia in January.
Reports in Saudi Arabia claimed the German could make the move to the Middle East in January. Indeed, the report even claimed that Gundogan had made the move request himself.
Asked about the rumours, the Barcelona boss replied: “Really, they said that? Wow. Gundogan is looking for a home here in Barcelona… Shukran”. Shukran means thank you in Arabic.
Gundogan moved to Camp Nou as a free agent following his departure from Manchester City in the summer. He has played 17 times for the Catalan giants, scoring in El Clasico, although Barcelona lost 2-1.
Speculation may continue among the media, but it seems unlikely that Gundogan will leave given Xavi’s attitude. Gundogan is more than likely to stay for at least the remainder of the season.
The Public Investment Fund that owns all the Arab clubs is planning another hot summer in terms of transfers, where the aim is to once again ‘lure’ European football stars to move to Saudi Arabia.
Recently, one of the names that was most touted for a move to the Saudi League was that of Luka Modric, with his agent refusing to close the door on such a transfer given the lack of mints this season at Real Madrid.