Man City ‘worried’ over new deal for Barcelona target

Karan Tejwani

• 1 Nov 2022 15:05 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester City are worried about the possibility of losing Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer next summer as his contract runs out at the end of the season.

Barcelona have been interested in signing Gundogan and have been keeping an eye on the player’s situation for some time.

The Blaugrana are still in financial disarray and are still focusing on getting players without having to pay a transfer fee, and Gundogan could be next.

READ: Barcelona eyeing free transfer for Man City star in 2023

Last season, they signed Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen in such deals and will continue to do so this summer, especially after their Champions League exit caused a financial blow.

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Man City worried Gundogan will leave

Manchester City are normally on top of players’ contracts and rarely lose them on a free transfer, but Gundogan’s deal has been allowed to run down to its final few months.

The English champions are worried because he’s a key component of Pep Guardiola’s midfield and they feel he will snub new terms in favour of a new challenge elsewhere.

READ: Guardiola's third favour to Arteta to solve Arsenal's midfield problem

Despite being 32, Guardiola still appreciates what he brings to the team and they don’t want to be in a position where he’s allowed to talk to other clubs come January.

Back in April, he spoke about a future move, saying: "Because of my roots, Turkey is naturally interesting. I also like the USA, I've been there on vacation several times.

"However, I'm not worried about that at the moment. I still have a contract in Manchester until 2023, I'm very happy there both in sporting and private terms and I can theoretically imagine ending my career at City."

There have been talks between the Manchester City and Gundogan representatives, but no firm agreement has been reached and a renewal isn’t set in stone just yet.

This is a situation Barcelona would be looking to pounce on as they’ll get a talented player for no financial burden on them.