Barcelona deal for Man City captain Gundogan 'practically done'

Tom Hancock

• Updated: 14 Apr 2023 14:15 BST
• 3 min read

Barcelona have agreed a deal to sign Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer this summer.

The German international midfielder is out of contract at the end of the season and is set to end his seven-year association with the club he’s helped to four Premier League titles in the past five campaigns.

Gundogan became Pep Guardiola’s first signing as City boss when he completed a €27m move from Borussia Dortmund in June 2016.

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According to Barcelona-based outlet SPORT, Gundogan will join Barca on an initial two-year deal, with the option of a further year.

The 32-year-old will reportedly earn €12m a season with the Catalan giants, who are currently closing in on their first La Liga title in three years.

Quality free signings might have to constitute much of the business done at the Camo Nou this off-season: Barce remain hamstrung by their long-running financial problems – which have left them unable to register the likes of Gavi and Ronald Araujo as first-team players.

READ MORE: Barcelona could lose 'one of world's best' for FREE

Gundogan assured of hero status at City

Gundogan has been one of City’s most reliable performers of the Guardiola era, making at least 27 Premier League appearances in six of his seven seasons at the Etihad Stadium – and featuring 293 times in all competitions.

A slick box-to-box operator and dependable penalty taker, Gundogan has scored 54 goals for City – including a career-high 17 in 2020/21.

But surely his most significant contribution to the team came on the final day of last term: with City 2-0 down at home to Aston Villa with less than 15 minutes to go, Gundogan came off the bench to bag a brace in a 3-2 win which snatched the Premier League title from Liverpool’s grasp.