Barcelona confident in signing Ilkay Gundogan
With 12 match days left to go in LaLiga, Barcelona have one eye on the league title while at the same time beginning to plan for next season.
One of the areas the Catalan side is looking to strengthen in is midfield. A name that has been linked with them since last season is Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan. His contract is set to expire come the end of the season and has attracted plenty of interest.
According to Sport, Barcelona is growing confident they’ll be able to secure his signing with the fact he would arrive as a free agent as one of the main attractions. Barcelona still find themselves in a precarious financial position and know they cannot splash the cash or afford to get into a bidding war.
Another reason why the club value the 32-year-old midfielder is his ability to play multiple positions in the middle of the pitch. He can play as part of a double-pivot or higher up if needed.
In this scenario, he could conceivably solve a number of concerns for Xavi Hernandez.
He could potentially serve as a replacement for Sergio Busquets should Busquets decline the club’s renewal and leave at the end of the season. Perhaps more importantly, he could serve as an option if and when they want to give Pedri a break.
Pedri has played quite a number of games in his short career as a member of the first team and its caught up with him the last two seasons. Injuries have sideline him and Gundogan could provide some of those qualities Barcelona lack when Pedri isn’t on the pitch.
That he’s played with Manchester City under Pep Guardiola and done it very well is seen as another point in his favor as he would be able to adapt to Barcelona quicker than most.
To add even more fuel to the speculation, while Manchester City would like to keep him for another season, they believe he will end up leaving.
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As mentioned, Barcelona need to be selective and search for free agents if they want to strengthen their squad for next season. Gundogan is someone they believe they cannot pass up and would provide quality and experience to a young midfield.