‘Dream’ move to Barcelona one of the three options for veteran Man City midfielder

On the final matchday of the Premier League, Manchester City found themselves 2-0 down against Aston Villa. With Liverpool breathing down their neck on the leaderboard, Pep Guardiola’s side needed nothing less than a win on the night to guarantee the league title.

In such a pressure-cooker situation, it was Ilkay Gundogan who struck twice in five minutes to steer his side through. The German international came on as a substitute in the 68th minute and turned the tie around by the 81st minute.

Now, his future is in the air heading into the new season. According to reports from Bild, Gundogan has three options to choose from.

The first choice, and likely the most possible one, is for the veteran to stay at Manchester City. The English champions are ready to offer him an extension to keep him at the club beyond his current deal that ends next year.

The other option on the table is to sign for Juventus. The Bianconeri are looking to reinforce their midfield for the upcoming campaign and view him as the ideal combination of versatility and experience.

However, Barcelona present an interesting third choice to the player. It has been Gundogan’s childhood dream to don the Blaugrana colours and he could make it a reality in the coming summer window.

The one condition ruling his decision is the assurance of playing time. With the World Cup set to begin later this year, the player wishes to constantly be on the field to keep his high level intact. Moreover, it is his lack of playing time at Etihad that forces him to contemplate a move away from the club.

From Barcelona’s point of view, there would appear to be two challenges. The first obstacle would be to work out the economics of the deal and accommodate Gundogan’s salary on the wage bill. Yet, the bigger problem would be the assurance of game time.

Sergio Busquets and Pedri are undisputed starters in Xavi’s setup. The rumoured move of Franck Kessie adds competition for the third spot which is already contested by Gavi, Frenkie de Jong and Nico Gonzalez.