FC Barcelona Are Already Negotiating Ilkay Gundogan Transfer From Manchester City

FC Barcelona are already negotiating Ilkay Gundogan’s free transfer from Manchester United, according to a report.

The German international is a free agent this summer. Despite being 32 years of age, he is still being used regularly and to great effect by the Catalans’ former manager Pep Guardiola at the Etihad.

With Barca’s financial predicament what it is, the Blaugrana seek low cost options in the next transfer window.

Gundogan would be a top acquisition who should not command a high salary given his age, and could also bring much needed experience to the locker room while possibly acting as an inspiration to the likes of Gavi and Pedri.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Barca could already be negotiating Gundogan’s arrival. “My obligation is to know that Gundogan is free,” sporting director Mateu Alemany recently told Movistar in Spain.

As Gundogan shares the same agent as Andreas Christensen, the Catalan daily newspaper says that contact with his entourage is “frequent”. Though Barca deny that any pre-agreement has been reached, sources have privately admitted to MD that he is “a very likely option for next season”.

Barca will hope to repeat the same success that they have enjoyed with Christensen this term when it comes to Gundogan.

The Denmark international arrived on a free transfer from Chelsea in the summer. And while rival fans such as those of Real Madrid mocked Barca for the transfer, as Los Blancos instead picked up Antonio Rudiger, it is Christensen that has proven one of the signings of the season while the mentioned German international is struggling to adapt at the Bernabeu.

Christensen was mysteriously dropped for Barca’s Europa League playoff first leg tie against City’s cross-town rivals Manchester United om Thursday, which ended in a 2-2 draw.

He did come off the bench, however, and is likely to start against Cadiz in La Liga at Camp Nou on Sunday.

Gundogan played an integral part in City’s 3-1 win over PremierPINC
League leaders Arsenal on Wednesday, which put them level on points with the north Londoners.

On Saturday, he could be chosen from the offset again to line up against new boys Nottingham Forest away.