Ilkay Gundogan

Ilkay Gundogan will be one of the big names of the upcoming transfer window. The Manchester City midfielder is at the end of his contract and getting him as a free agent represents a magnificent opportunity for many clubs who are confident that the German still has years left in him at the top level. One of them is Barcelona, who have moved well and have practically closed a deal.

The Catalan giants want more talent from midfield in the attacking third and Gundogan fits perfectly what they are looking for. A talented player, capable of generating play, of linking up with his team-mates and who also scores goals. Xavi’s team lacks a right-footed player in the build-up phase. This season the team has felt the absence of Pedri very much when he has been injured.

At first, Barça did not meet the player’s financial demands but they ended up finding a formula to get him to accept. Instead of offering him a two-year contract, they extended it to three years but at a lower price. Gundogan, in the event of signing, will be paid around nine million euros per season.

In addition, the player wants a change of scenery and is keen on the option of moving to Barcelona with his family.

But Manchester City are reluctant to lose their captain. Pep Guardiola still wants to keep him because he considers him a very important player in his team. He scored a brace to win the FA Cup final against Manchester United. City offered him a renewal but only offered him one more year and did not ostensibly improve his financial conditions.

But faced with the real option of losing him, the English club has presented him a new proposal to sign him for one season with the option of a second that would be in the hands of the player. They have also improved the financial offer, a little higher than that of Barça.

Another team that wants him is Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s side are offering him a two-year contract because they want to sign two midfielders with a technical profile. But they can’t compete with the three years offered by Barça and the desire to move. Moreover, if he stays in the Premier League and his current team offers him more than one year, he does not intend to move.

In addition to these three teams, a Saudi Arabian club is also expected to make him a big offer in the next few days. Gundogan is a perfect profile for Saudi clubs because he is at an age, 32, when he can think about signing one last stratospheric contract and lowering his footballing standards.

In any case, the player does not plan to make a final decision on his future until after the Champions League final that Manchester City will play on Saturday against Inter Milan at the Olympic Stadium Atatürk in Istanbul.

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