Ilkay Gundogan could link up with Liverpool star he rates better than Harry Kane and Neymar

Barcelona star Ilkay Gundogan has put teams across Europe on red alert after reportedly telling the Catalan side he wants to leave this summer.

The German international joined Barcelona last summer on a free after his contract with Manchester City expired. During his time at City, Gundogan helped Pep Guardiola's side to five Premier League titles, four league cups, two FA Cups and a Champions League trophy.

However, after spending just a season in Barcelona, Gundogan is now reportedly exploring his options - which could see him leave the Catalan side. The 33-year-old missed Barcelona's La Liga opener against Valencia on Saturday with a concussion, a game which saw Hansi Flick's side win 2-1.

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The Athletic report Gundogan is drawing interest from the Premier League, Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Gundogan, who originally signed a two year deal with Barcelona, had his contract extended by a season after hitting appearance requirements last term - meaning his contract runs out now in 2026.

While Flick is keen to keep Gundogan, stating, "I have a feeling he will stay", everything at Barcelona is up in the air, with the club facing registration issues once again after signing Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig. That means they need to shift players out the door before August 30.

And while a return to City could potentially be on the cards for Gundogan, a move to join Arne Slot's Liverpool would see the German be able to link up with a player he believes it better than the likes of Harry Kane and Neymar in Mohamed Salah.

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Filming a 'who's the best' video with TikTok creator John Nellis, Gundogan was asked who he would rather have between Salah and Neymar.

"Woah! "Let me go Salah," when asked who he would pick between the Egyptian and Neymar. The next face to appear was that of England skipper Harry Kane, prompting Gundogan to select Salah again. However, then came Gundogan's former City teammate Kevin De Bruyne. Unable to put his biases aside, Gundogan said: "You've put me on the spot here! I'll go with Kevin, Kevin De Bruyne."

Liverpool.com says: "If he is available, which it looks like he is, Ilkay Gundogan would not just be a great signing for Liverpool but also an astute one. Barcelona, once again, are in player registration hell (seriously guys, how have you not learnt to deal with this yet?), which means they need to shift players out the door to get summer signing Dani Olmo registered.

"Despite his age, Gundogan is still a quality player. And with two-years left on his deal, Liverpool could get a bargain in the German midfielder if they wanted to immediately improve their squad."