Manchester City icon will sign a two-year deal worth €12 million per season at Barcelona

Earlier today, we reported that Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan had reached an agreement to join FC Barcelona as a free agent in the summer transfer window.

The 32-year-old’s current contract with Man City expires at the end of the season and he is now poised to end his seven-year stint at the Etihad Stadium.

A fresh update from Ferran Correas of SPORT reports that while the deal is not exactly done, there has been significant progress made and an agreement is ‘practically closed’ at this point.

This development comes after Gundogan’s agent/uncle, Ilhan Gundogan, was spotted meeting with Barcelona director Mateu Alemany at the club offices yesterday.

This was not the first meeting between the two, although the first instance had been played down by Alemany as a discussion over Andreas Christensen, who is also represented by Ilhan Gundogan.

Nevertheless, things are headed in the right direction as far as Gundogan’s pursuit is concerned. As per the report, the 32-year-old midfielder will be signing a two-year contract with Barcelona, with an option of an additional year.

During that time, Gundogan will earn a gross salary of €12 million per season which means a net wage of €6 million-a-year after taxes.

It is no secret that Barcelona had been prioritising a move for Gundogan’s Manchester City teammate Bernardo Silva. However, the club’s delicate situation due to Financial Fair Play meant that the move was never a possibility.

Instead, they have now practically tied up Gundogan’s signing. The midfielder’s ability to play as an interior or a pivot is seen as valuable by Barcelona, while youngsters like Gavi, Pedri, and Pablo Torre could benefit from his experience as well.

With a deal for Inigo Martinez understood to be in place already, Barcelona are now closing in on the Bosman signing of Gundogan as well. However, it must be noted that the club still need to resolve their FFP issues to successfully register the duo and any other player they sign.