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Barcelona midfielder Ilkay Gundogan's agent has opened up on his client's future at Camp Nou. There have been rumors surrounding the Germany international's future but his agent has denied all speculations.
Reports emerged from Turkey that Gundogan's agent and brother Ilhan met directors of Galatasaray ahead of the Turkish giants clash against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
However, his agent has denied such rumors and insisted there was no meeting with the Turkish giants. Ilhan Gundogan said, via Metro:
"The reports in the press these days about Ilkay do not reflect the truth. I did not meet anyone from Galatasaray before the Bayern Munich game to talk about Ilkay. There was no development, meeting or anything that came to us in this regard."
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He also added that Gundogan is very happy at Barcelona and is only focused on the Blaugrana. lhan Gundogan added:
"I want to make this clear. Neither I nor Ilkay can understand how this news came about. Ilkay is very happy at Barcelona and is focused on what he wants to achieve there and on his goals."
Gundogan joined Barca after being released by Manchester City this summer and has become a key player at Camp Nou. He has featured in all 17 games for the Catalan giants this season having contributed with one goal and five assists.
The German midfielder has a deal at Camp Nou until 2025 and it looks quite unlikely that he will be offloaded by the Blaugrana any time soon. He captained the City team to a historic treble (FA Cup, Premier League, and Champions League) last season.
Barcelona legend Carles Puyol backs Xavi Hernandez to turn things around
Barcelona legend Carles Puyol has backed his former teammate and current manager Xavier Hernandez to turn around the club's fortunes. The Blaugrana have suffered a little setback following a strong start to the season.
Their unbeaten start in La Liga was brought to an end by Real Madrid(2-1) after which they lost 1-0 to Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League. Carles Puyol has tipped Xavi to bring the club back to their best. He said (as per Barca Universal):
“I trust Xavi and this Barca team. I have experienced many moments with Xavi. I am happy that he is here at the club. Barcelona are going through a difficult moment, but I know that Xavi will know how to manage it. He will know how to transmit confidence to the players, who have to turn the situation around."
He added:
We already know Barca. When they lose two games or don’t play well in two games, there is a lot of criticism. … The demands are huge. I trust the team and Xavi. This season we have had difficult moments, with many injuries, and this always makes things difficult. I have confidence in the team, the evaluations have to be made at the end of the season."
Barcelona are third in the La Liga standings, four behind surprise leaders Girona (34) after 13 games. Meanwhile, in the UEFA Champions League, they lead their group albeit by goal difference despite the loss against Shakhtar.
