"Has he sent his twin brother with less talent?" – DFB vice-president blasts Barcelona midfielder Ilkay Gundogan for Germany performances

German Football Association (DFB) vice-president Ralph-Uwe Schaffert has stated that Barcelona midfielder Ilkay Gundogan is underperforming in a Germany shirt.

Gundogan, who joined Barcelona on a free switch after his Manchester City exit in the summer, has opened his new club chapter on a positive note. He has recorded two goals and six assists in 24 games across all competitions for Xavi Hernandez's side so far this season.

However, the former Borussia Dortmund man's recent form for Germany has been uncharacteristically poor of late. As a result, Schaffert criticized the player in a chat with Hannoversche Allgemeine (h/t GOAL):

"Gundogan strangely plays outstandingly for the club and then plays in such a way for the national team that one can come to think: Has he sent his twin brother, with less talent? I don't understand it."

Schaffert hit out at other Germany men's national team players, adding:

"I have the feeling that quite a few of the players who are currently on the pitch believe that they can go out on the field with maybe 85% of their possible commitment, and then you have to discover that this is no longer enough against Turkey and Austria."

Casting doubt on the Barcelona star's Germany future, Schaffert said:

"I don't even want to imagine what will happen if we play against France or England with this attitude. Maybe we will no longer need only those who are very talented, but also those who are willing to roll up their sleeves. The best example of how to do this was given by our under-17 when they won the World Cup."

Gundogan, who will next feature for Barcelona in a contest against Las Palmas on Thursday, is next set to play for his national team in March.

So far, Gundogan has scored 18 goals in 73 matches for Germany.

Barcelona mulling over Oriel Romeu sale

According to El Nacional, Barcelona are open to parting ways with Oriel Romeu in the ongoing winter transfer window. Getafe are said to be willing to launch a move to snap up the 32-year-old defensive midfielder.

Romeu, who left Girona to join the Blaugrana for around €3.4 million last July, has provided one assist for his new team so far. He has made 19 appearances across all competitions so far, starting 13 of them.

The Catalan outfit, on the other hand, are fourth in the 2023-24 La Liga campaign with 38 points from 18 matches, seven points off top place.