Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan joins Spanish champions Barcelona

Ilkay Gündogan wanted time to make a concrete decision about his future and it seems that the time has come: he will sign for FC Barcelona. The club and the player have the basis of the agreement in place and, in the absence of an official announcement, the German midfielder will join Barça for the next three seasons. 

The player had the option of continuing at Manchester City, where Pep Guardiola had more than pampered him, Arsenal opened the door and Saudi Arabia awaited him with open arms, but Gündogan has opted for the Azulgrana proposal. Barça, pending confirmation of the signing, are confident that they will be able to register the player and, in fact, are confident that they will be able to do so on 1 July, when the transfer window opens.

He will finally have a three-year contract, which means that, in theory, he will wear the FC Barcelona shirt until June 2026.

The German player is a major signing for Xavi Hernandez's project, which was crying out for the arrival of a midfielder with the ability to generate in the final third. Gündogan has shown in recent years at City that he is a midfielder capable of being at the heart of the play, but who is terribly dangerous between the lines.

With Gündogan signed, and his arrival now official and his registration pending, Barça can now focus their efforts on strengthening their defensive midfield, orphaned since the departure of Sergio Busquets.