Juventus rejected Manchester City transfer proposal to sign midfield star | OneFootball

Serie A giants Juventus rejected the opportunity to sign Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan during the most-recent summer transfer window, it is being reported.

The former Germany international, who left the Etihad Stadium on a free transfer to join Galatasaray on transfer deadline day, had been the subject of widespread speculation throughout the summer regarding his future.

City were open to moving on their legendary former captain after the arrivals of Nico Gonzalez and Tijjani Reijnders reshaped Pep Guardiola’s midfield options over the last nine months, while the Turkish giants emerged as frontrunners in the closing stages of the window.

Reports across Europe confirmed that Manchester City were looking to facilitate a respectful and smooth exit for the 34-year-old, with Pep Guardiola keen to honour a gentleman’s agreement reached between player and club.

However, what has now come to light is that Juventus had the opportunity to step in and bring Ilkay Gundogan to Serie A, only to turn down the chance to secure his services.

That is according to the information of Italian newspaper Tuttomercatoweb, who claim that Juventus were offered Gundogan, but ultimately declined the proposal with no plans to bring in another midfielder.

With the Serie A side’s squad already holding significant depth in central areas, the decision was made by the club to prioritise other positions, thus enabling Gundogan to ultimately sign off on an emotional move to Turkish giants and boyhood club Galatasaray.

While Juventus chose to stick with their current midfield pool, Galatasaray acted quickly in the final days of the transfer market to ensure Gundogan would not slip away from their grasps.

The Istanbul club were under significant pressure to finalise registration in time for the UEFA Champions League deadline, with the former Manchester City captain expected to play a pivotal role in their European campaign.

For City, the outcome has marked the end of an era. Gundogan leaves as one of the club’s most decorated midfielders, having played a central role in the historic treble-winning campaign of 2022/23. His exit, alongside other senior figures such as Ederson and Kevin De Bruyne, reflects an evolving squad dynamic.