Preparations for the next season are already underway at FC Barcelona, and the club is aiming to strengthen different areas of the first team. Midfield is one area where reinforcements will be needed in the summer, especially now that Sergio Busquets has communicated his decision to leave the club at the end of the season.
The player most likely to strengthen the midfield is the Manchester City player, Ilkay Gundogan. The German international is a particularly attractive option for the Catalan club, mostly because of his commendable abilities to play in different positions in the midfield, and also because he would be a free agent this summer and would not cost anything in transfer fees.
According to SPORT, FC Barcelona and Gundogan have a verbal agreement for a three-year contract but have decided to keep this information confidential until Gundogan has finished this season with Manchester City.
This time can extend up to June, as Manchester City are still in the Champions League and can advance and play in the final in the next month. However, the verbal agreement does not necessarily means the deal is closed with the German, and Barcelona still have work to do to ensure the arrival of Gundogan this summer.
During the initial stages of negotiations between Barcelona and the player, Gundogan was demanding a lot of money. While he has compromised on these demands a bit now, the fact that Manchester City are making an effort for his renewal can complicate things for the Catalans.
The latest Manchester City offer is for a greater number of seasons than their initial offer. Still, the Blaugranes are confident that they will be able to get this deal done. One aspect they would have to work on would be to facilitate the player in adjusting to Barcelona, after a number of years in Manchester.
If everything goes to plan, FC Barcelona would have a very capable player in their ranks to somewhat mitigate the loss of Sergio Busquets in the upcoming season.
