Report – True reason behind Barcelona midfielder’s trip to Istanbul amid Fenerbahce interest

Over the past week, reports have emerged claiming that Turkish giants Fenerbahce have taken an interest in signing Barcelona midfielder Ilkay Gundogan.

Fenerbahce’s new manager, Jose Mourinho, is understood to be keen on adding the veteran midfielder to his ranks, especially following an injury to Fred, and as such, it has been suggested that initial contacts have been made by the Turkish club.

Fenerbahce’s arch-rivals, Galatasaray, are also understood to be interested in signing Gundogan this summer, sparking a transfer tug-of-war.

Gundogan flies to Istanbul

Amidst these speculations, Ilkay Gundogan boarded a plane to Istanbul this morning in Barcelona, adding fuel to the speculations.

However, SPORT reports that Gundogan has not travelled to Turkey to negotiate his future with either Fenerbahce or Galatasaray.

The real reason for the Barcelona midfielder’s trip was to take advantage of the fact that manager Hansi Flick has given the squad a rest until Saturday after the pre-season tour of the USA, to rest with his family for a few days and to record a commercial.

There has been a lot of speculation about Gundogan’s future in recent weeks.

It has been suggested that there is a possibility that the midfielder could leave Barça if a good offer came in to free up space on the wage bill, more so considering his position is well covered, even more so with the arrival of Dani Olmo.

However, the player’s entourage has made it clear that Gundogan is very happy at Barcelona and has no intention of leaving.

The former Manchester City captain is a player that Flick likes very much, as they know each other very well from the German national team, and the midfielder is aware that he will play a very important role this season.