Ilkay Gundogan deal nearing for Barcelona as Man City contract expiry approaches

According to sources, Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan is close to agreeing on a deal with Barcelona this summer as his contract with City expires. Although City hopes to keep the 32-year-old player, they will not force the issue and let him move on. Gundogan's representatives have been in talks with Barcelona for a few months, while Paris Saint-Germain also showed interest in his team. City manager Pep Guardiola hinted at his desire to keep Gundogan, but sources suggest that the Catalan giants are closing in on a deal.

Gundogan has been with Manchester City for seven years, winning four Premier League titles and seven domestic cups, scoring some momentous goals as a box-to-box midfielder. His move to Camp Nou would boost the depth of Xavi's La Liga champions and position them as a force in the Champions League after early exits in the past two seasons. With Barcelona's financial troubles, a deal for Gundogan on a free transfer appeals to them, having concluded similar deals for Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, and Marcos Alonso. They also hope to bring back Lionel Messi two years after he left for Paris Saint-Germain due to the same financial issues.

Manchester City recently defeated Bayern Munich 3-0, putting them in a good position in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final. They will play their second leg soon.

On this edition of Talking Transfers, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders, Graeme Bailey & Toby Cudworth discuss Liverpool missing out on Jude Bellingham this summer, Chelsea potentially hanging on to Mason Mount, Ryan Gravenberch interesting Man Utd & Arsenal & more!