Ilkay Gündogan, a key player of Manchester City under the guidance of Pep Guardiola for the past 7 seasons, is reportedly set to defend a new club in the second half of the year. According to the Catalan newspaper Sport, negotiations with Barcelona have advanced and the German midfielder is likely to join Camp Nou.
The newspaper reports that the player has already agreed to a two-year contract with Barcelona, with an additional optional year. The only thing left to finalize is the consensus on Gündogan’s salary in Spanish football.
Gündogan will turn 33 in October and, according to Barcelona, his salary demands were a bit high as he is already a veteran. The club’s football director, Mateu Alemany, is leading the negotiations and will attempt to resolve this issue in the coming weeks in order to finalize a possible agreement. The deal will be given the green light by the president, Joan Laporta.
Gundogan wants to play for Barcelona
The hiring of Gündogan is a request made by coach Xavi Hernandez, who sees the veteran as one of the pillars for the team’s restructuring that will intensify from the upcoming season. In addition to playing as a pivot, the midfielder can also play a deeper role, which pleases the Barça coach.
In the current season, the 32-year-old midfielder has scored 7 goals and provided 3 assists in 45 matches, remaining a key player in the team’s pursuit of titles in the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup until the end of the campaign.
Despite Gündogan’s importance to Manchester City, it seems the club is willing to let him go. The midfielder has been linked to Barcelona since 2020, and it appears that his move to the Catalan club is getting closer to completion.
If Gündogan joins Barcelona, he would be one of the club’s most experienced and skillful players, bringing with him his years of Premier League experience and leadership qualities. As for Manchester City, they will need to find a way to fill the void left by Gündogan’s departure and maintain their high level of play.
