Manchester City could lose İlkay Gündoğan to Bayer Leverkusen as Granit Xhaka’s replacement
Manchester City midfielder İlkay Gündoğan could leave the Etihad this summer, with Bayer Leverkusen emerging as a serious contender for his signature.
Not in Guardiola’s Plans
According to journalist Nico Schira, the 34-year-old German is not part of Pep Guardiola’s plans for the 2025–26 season. City are open to negotiating his exit, and a return to the Bundesliga is being explored.
Leverkusen coach Erik ten Hag reportedly sees Gündoğan as the ideal replacement for Granit Xhaka, who recently joined Sunderland to return to the Premier League.
Gündoğan’s Profile Fits Leverkusen
With a contract until June 2026, Gündoğan offers experience and tactical intelligence. He is known for controlling tempo, finding teammates in tight spaces, and making late attacking runs.
Defensively, his positional awareness and anticipation compensate for his lack of physical dominance, making him a strong fit for Leverkusen’s style of play.
Potential Reunion with Bundesliga
If finalized, this would mark Gündoğan’s return to Germany for the first time since leaving Borussia Dortmund in 2016.
City and Leverkusen have already completed one deal this summer — Claudio Echeverri joined the German club on loan to replace Florian Wirtz, showing the strong transfer relations between the two clubs.
