German midfielder and captain of Manchester City, Ilkay Gündogan, will leave the English champion at the end of the contract, according to the list of players released on June 30 published on the Premier League website on Sunday. On this list of players, whose contract is not renewed, is also the French full-back Benjamin Mendy, suspended since August 2021 by the club due to accusations of rape against him and for which he still has to finish. to be judged.
In January 2023, he was found not guilty of six of the seven rapes he was accused of, as well as a sexual assault, but he will have to be tried again for a rape and an attempted rape. Mendy must also appear Monday before the court of Chester (north of England) to launch this second trial. But if the sporting destiny of the Frenchman was hardly in doubt, the confirmation of Gündogan’s departure clarifies his situation after weeks of doubts about his future.
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The German player, who was the very first recruit wanted and obtained by Pep Guardiola when he arrived at City in 2016, has been a central link in winning the league title five times over these six years.
Sometimes used as a recuperator, most often as a midfielder or playmaker, and even sometimes as a false-nine, Gündogan was a key player in the game set up by the Catalan, thanks to his technique and a sense of placement and unparalleled movement. He can leave the club with the feeling of accomplishment, since the Sky Blues achieved a historic treble this season: championship, FA Cup and above all the first Champions League in the history of the club.
According to the press, Barcelona would hold the rope to secure the services of the 32-year-old German international (67 caps). As often, Manchester City seems to have anticipated this announcement and could soon register the arrival of Croatian Mateo Kovacic, from Chelsea with whom an agreement has already been reached, according to the English media.