Barcelona will seek departure for 26-year-old midfielder if Gundogan arrives

While there are several holes in the current Barcelona squad, the club has prioritised to reinforce some positions over others. This includes signing a defensive midfielder to replace Sergio Busquets, a right-back to take over the reins from Jules Kounde, a left-winger, and possibly another central midfielder.

Barça already have their choice of targets ready in these positions, too. Martin Zubimendi and Sofyan Amrabat are the chosen ones as pivot options, while the likes of Juan Foyth, Thomas Meunier, and Jeremie Frimpong round off targets for right-back.

Ez Abde is expected to return to take over the left-wing spot, with Yannick Carrasco’s arrival also an option.

Elsewhere, Barcelona are looking at Ilkay Gundogan as their option in central midfield. The German is set to become a free agent in the summer if he does not sign a new deal with Manchester City.

However, their pursuit of Gundogan is especially curious given the number of central midfielders at the club already. As such, Javi Miguel has relayed a report saying that Barcelona could seek a departure for Franck Kessie if Gundo is signed.

Kessie commands a strong presence in the Italian market, with several top clubs interested in him. There have been reports of both AC Milan and Inter Milan keeping tabs on him.

Barcelona have also already held talks with Inter about Kessie. In fact, the two parties were close to reaching an agreement over the move in January, with Marcelo Brozovic joining the blaugranes as part of a swap deal.

Kessie initially found it difficult to adjust to Barcelona in the initial months, but has found a place for himself in 2023, putting in some impressive performances, including a last-minute winner against Real Madrid in the league.