Barcelona optimistic about signing Man City captain, will offer him a 2+1 contract

Ilkay Gundogan has reached the semifinal of the UEFA Champions League with Manchester City for the second successive year and will face Real Madrid next month to take one more step towards glory. However, the real story revolving around the player has been his possible move to Barcelona.

When asked about the Catalans’ interest in his profile and the contacts between the parties, the midfielder admitted to being uncertain about his future.

“My future is not yet decided. Obviously, there are talks in the background. But I won’t go into details now. I have not signed anything yet.”

According to reports from Toni Juanmarti, Barcelona are very optimistic about signing Gundogan. The club will offer him a two-year contract with the option to add on a further season.

The Manchester City star wants to ensure that his registration with the Spanish side would not be a problem before committing, especially given Barcelona’s struggles in recent times with registering new contracts. His heart, nevertheless, lies in Catalonia.

Xavi Hernandez is said to be a big fan of the German midfielder and sees his versatility to be a potent weapon for next season.

Gundogan is amongst the world’s best interior midfielders on his day and can do well alongside Pedri in bringing creativity to the table. Yet, he is also capable of playing as a pivot when required to cover for Sergio Busquets.

In 26 Premier League appearances for Manchester City, the German international has scored four goals and provided three assists. Further, he averages 1.3 key passes per game and has created five big chances.

With the veteran’s contract in England running out in the summer, Gundogan will be available on a free transfer for Barcelona to lap up. Given the agreement from both sides over a move, it is only a matter of time before the paperwork becomes involved.

It has been reported that Barça would be offering him a wage packet of around €6 million per year, which has become the standard salary in the new scale adopted by the club.