Barcelona are close to agreeing on a deal with Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan, who is out of contract this summer.
While Manchester City remains hopeful that the 32-year-old will choose to extend his stay at the club, sources suggest that the club will not pressure Gundogan, given his outstanding contributions over the years.
Gundogan’s representatives have been in discussions with Barcelona for several months. Reports from 90min in October indicated that Bayern Munich had expressed interest in the German midfielder, who previously played for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.
Additionally, Paris Saint-Germain has also been in contact with its representatives.
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City manager Pep Guardiola spoke highly of Gundogan in February, acknowledging his value to the team and expressing his desire for him to remain with the club. However, sources suggest that talks with Barcelona have been ongoing, and the Catalan giants are closing in on a deal for the midfielder.
Gundogan’s move to Barcelona would end his seven-year tenure at Manchester City, during which he has won four Premier League titles and seven domestic cup competitions. He has played nearly 300 matches in all competitions for the club, scoring critical goals as a box-to-box midfielder.
Adding Gundogan to Barcelona’s squad would strengthen the team’s depth as they aim to reestablish themselves as a formidable presence in the Champions League following two successive early exits.
Given Barcelona’s well-documented financial problems, the opportunity to sign a player of Gundogan’s caliber on a free transfer is undoubtedly appealing. The club has already completed similar deals for Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, and Marcos Alonso this season for the same reason.
Moreover, Barcelona hopes to convince Lionel Messi to return to the club two years after he departs for Paris Saint-Germain due to the club’s financial difficulties.
