Manchester United have been given a blow in their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan after the German club admitted they have not given up hope of convincing him to extend his stay at the club.

Gundogan’s contract will expire at the end of next season, and it is widely reported that he is unwilling to make a renewal. Therefore, to avoid losing the player for free, Dortmund will look to offload the player this summer as they would obviously be reluctant to see a repeat of the Robert Lewandowski saga, which saw the player leave for free to rivals Bayern Munich.

It’s no secret that Gundogan is a hugely admired player across Europe. Many clubs including Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Real Madrid, have been touting a move for Gundogan ever since he burst onto the scenes. His brilliance for Dortmund between 2011 – 2013 alone has helped make his name as one of the best central midfielders around.

However, the Bundesliga club’s general manager Hans-Joachim Watzk has said his future could still be at the Westfalenstadion.

“Maybe there is still a chance that he has a rethink,” he told German newspaper WAZ. “We are in talks and Ilkay is a decent lad.”

All in all, Gundogan would definitely be a great addition to the side by LvG. The €30 million fee (around £21.5m) for the German international seems good business by United. At that price, and with his age, even if the star’s time at United did come to an abrupt end. The chances of United recouping that fee are very high so he looks like a player who is well worth signing and giving a genuine opportunity at Old Trafford.