Latest Manchester City Transfer Rumors: Updates on Joao Cancelo and Ilkay Gundogan
Al-Hilal is reportedly ready to tempt Manchester City’s sidelined star Joao Cancelo with a lucrative offer to join the Saudi Pro League this summer. According to Sports Zone, the Middle Eastern club is prepared to offer the Portuguese full-back an eye-watering £13 million per year (€16 million) to make the move. Cancelo’s future at City remains uncertain after being sidelined by Pep Guardiola. Although he spent last season on loan at Barcelona, hopes for a permanent deal with the Spanish giants have been dampened by their ongoing financial issues.
The Guardian reports that Cancelo is one of three top targets on Al-Hilal’s defensive wishlist, alongside his City teammate Kyle Walker and Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong. Sports Zone also notes that Manchester City is keen on pushing through the transfer, urging Cancelo to accept the offer.
Meanwhile, Ilkay Gundogan’s wife, Sara, has already expressed her feelings about a potential return to Manchester. Just 14 months after moving to Barcelona, City is considering bringing the midfielder back to the Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola has reportedly given his approval, with talks between the club and Gundogan already underway. The German star is said to have personally reached out to Guardiola to expedite the negotiations.
In a February interview with the Daily Mail, Sara Gundogan reflected on her time in Manchester: “When I was in Manchester, my entire world initially revolved around football. My friends, the people I met through my husband—it was all tied to football. But I’m a social person, and it took some time, but I eventually made friends and built a life I loved in Manchester.”
She also touched on the challenges of relocating to Spain, saying, “In football, you constantly see friends moving to different countries. You hear from them suddenly that they’re leaving, but I never imagined it would be us. It’s always a shock when it happens to you. It’s hard, especially when you’ve made friends and built a life, only to leave it all behind.”
