FC Barcelona are reportedly interested in Manchester City’s industrious central engine Ilkay Gundogan, and while the club would be wary of losing such an integral asset, it does open the door to the signing of a certain touted midfielder.
Gundogan’s £140k-per-week contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and with City still to renew, the door of possibility has been opened to the likes of Barcelona, who are said to be great admirers of the German ace and view his skill set as ideal to adopt the pivot role at the heart of Xavi Hernandez’s team.
Last week, prominent Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo stated that while Gundogan is the top January target for the Spanish giants, the focus may turn to want away Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans, who is universally accepted to be departing the Foxes upon the expiry of his contract next summer, if not sooner.
However, City’s Spaniard boss Pep Guardiola should consider granting the departure of his favoured box-to-box presence, with his prospective leave freeing up room to sign the phenomenal talent that is Jude Bellingham.
Bellingham, starring for Borussia Dortmund, joined the Yellow Wall in 2020 for an initial fee of £25m after impressing during his maiden season in professional football with boyhood club Birmingham City and has since seen his stock rise astronomically, to the point that he is now widely regarded as one of the most prodigious talents in world football.
The teenager, still only 19, has already moulded into the pivot role with such aplomb that he is the definitive midfield force for his side, while also squeezing his way into the cemented starting line-up for England, making 17 appearances already, with the 2022 World Cup indeed less than one week away.
A smorgasbord of top outfits across Europe are desperate to clinch the player’s signature and tie him down to a long-term deal, but it remains to be seen where the precocious ace will indeed wind up, but according to the Daily Mail in recent weeks, the Citizens have already held talks with the superstar and there is confidence that he will end up joining.
Should Guardiola pursue the deal, he would boast one of football’s most premier talents at the centre of one of football’s most premier midfields, with Bellingham indeed already impressing against City to date, having scored against the club in the Champions League on two occasions, this season and in 2021.
With nine goals and three assists in 22 appearances this term alone, the £87m-rated maestro is well on the way to forging a career of supreme quality, with the Etihad Stadium the perfect ground to fuel the burgeoning rise to the very top of the game.
And, as per SofaScore, he outranks Gundogan in a number of statistics, striking 2.1 shots per match to the German’s 1.8; making 3.2 tackles per match to his 0.9; with 1.4 interceptions per outing to his 32-year-old counterpart’s 0.7.
Granted, these are not defining metrics, indeed the respective athletes holding different circumstances despite similar roles, it illustrates the efficacy and rounded approach Bellingham brings to the table, despite his young age.
With the World Cup indeed mere moments away, a standout showing might rise the price tag, with Dortmund reportedly demanding an audacious £131m for the player, as per The Athletic, which could effectively rule scores of interested suitors out of the running, paving the way for the brimming bank of Man City to swoop in and ensure their unwavering resolve remains intact for years to come.