He Barcelona has its sights on Ilkay Gundogan to strengthen its squad for the next season. The German midfielder of Turkish origin, current Manchester City captain, is looking forward to the Champions League final to be played on June 10 in Turkey, his family’s country.
The Manchester club has offered Gündogan an extension of one more year on his contract, which expires on June 30. However, the player expected an offer that included more years of association with the team. For this reason, he is open to listening to other proposals and that is where Barcelona’s interest comes into play.
Gundogan’s requirement to sign with FC Barcelona
According to information obtained by the newspaper AS, the contacts between the player’s agent, Ilkan Gündogan, who is also his uncle, and Pere Guardiola, brother of the City coach and mediator with Barcelona, have already been carried out. The Catalan team sees in Gündogan an attractive option to reinforce the position that will remain vacant after the departure of Sergio Busquets. The club is optimistic regarding the possibility of reaching an agreement.
Gundogan stands out not only for his quality and experience, but also for being a market opportunity given that his contract ends and Barcelona needs to adjust its finances due to the economic pressure it faces.
For Pep Guardiola, Gündogan has been a fundamental player in City’s plans, being one of the most used footballers. However, Barcelona have intensified contacts with the player’s agent in recent weeks, and the midfielder welcomes the possibility of playing for the Catalan club. For years now, the former Borussia Dortmund player has had dreams of playing in LaLiga, and doing so at Barcelona, a club that conforms to his sporting philosophy and that bears similarities to his experience under Guardiola at the City.
Negotiations between both parties are advanced, and Gündogan would have requested a three-year contract from Barcelona. Right now, he appears to be closer to accepting Barcelona’s option than extending his contract with Manchester City.
The future of Ilkay Gündogan is up in the air, and in the coming weeks the details of his possible transfer to Barcelona are expected to be defined, which would be a significant reinforcement for the team led by Xavi Hernández.