Despite recent news of Sergio Busquets looking for a renewal with FC Barcelona, the future of the Barcelona Captain is still far from decided. As a result, the club is actively looking for options that can replace their long-standing midfield pivot, and Ilkay Gundogan is one of the players being scouted.
Sergio Busquets is currently the longest-serving player at FC Barcelona, as he came up through the ranks, became an integral part of the legendary Pep Guardiola team at Barcelona, and has formed that pivot at the club ever since.
However, Busquets has lost a significant amount of his physicality and pace, which makes him struggle a bit against high-pressing sides. This decline, along with his advanced years, make it certain that the veteran player’s time with the club is fast approaching an end.
Scouts and executives at FC Barcelona are thus looking for potential candidates that can take over from Busquets in the near future. One name that has long been associated with FC Barcelona is Ilkay Gundogan, who currently plays for Manchester City. His contract ends this summer, which makes him a particularly attractive option for the club.
A recent report from SPORT claims that negotiations between the two parties are already well advanced, as the German’s representatives held a meeting with the FC Barcelona Board of Directors at the Ciutat Esportiva. Thus, the report further claims that he is the most likely candidate to arrive at Camp Nou next summer, and is the favorite to replace Busquets in a race which also previously included Martín Zubimendi, Ruben Neves, and Ngolo Kante.
