Agent and brother of Ilkay Gundogan, Ilhan, has come out publicly to head off rumours surrounding a possible exit for the Barcelona star.
On Thursday morning it was reported in Turkey that Ilhan Gundogan had met with Galatasaray while they were playing Bayern Munich in Germany to discuss a potential move to the Turkish giants just five months after arriving in Barcelona.
However Ilhan Gundogan released a statement on the matter, as carried by MD, which leaves as many questions as answers.
“The news that has appeared in the press in recent days about Ilkay does not reflect the truth. I didn’t meet anyone from Galatasaray before the Bayern Munich game to talk about Ilkay. There was no development, meeting or anything of the sort that came to us in this regard. I want to make this clear. Neither I nor Ilkay can understand how this news came about. Ilkay is very happy in Barcelona and is focused on what he wants to achieve there and his goals.”
This is the second time that a media storm has enveloped Gundogan in the space of a month, after his public criticism of the Barcelona team following defeat in El Clasico was followed by reports that the Gundogan family were not impressed with the club’s efforts to help them settle in the city. On that occasion, Sara Gundogan, his partner, came out publicly to say they were delighted with the club, the city and their new life, which begs the question as to why there is a counter-current against leaking noise about the German international, and who is behind it.
