FC Barcelona are aiming to strengthen their midfield in the upcoming transfer window, and Ilkay Gundogan is one of their preferred targets. However, bringing the experienced midfielder to Camp Nou would not be an easy task, particularly in this transfer window.
As previously reported, Arsenal is another club that is interested in getting their hands on Gundogan in the upcoming summer transfer window. The Gunners’ veteran midfielder Granit Xhaka is expected to leave the club at the end of this season, and they have identified Gundogan as more than an ideal replacement for the Swiss international.
In this regard, SPORT reports that the Arsenal head coach, Mikel Arteta, is looking for an opportunity to meet the midfielder one on one in order to convince him not to join Barcelona and go to the London club instead. Arteta and Gundogan already have personal ties, as Arteta was the assistant coach at Manchester City before his stint at Arsenal and has worked with Gundogan at the Manchester club.
Meanwhile, Manchester City have also been impressed with the German international’s performances this season and are now more open to giving in to his demands. Previously, the Manchester club was only willing to offer him a single-year deal, but have now offered him a two-year deal with an option to extend for another year at his current salary.
Meanwhile, Barcelona and Alemany are still hopeful that they will be able to land the German at Camp Nou, primarily as they had offered him his favored terms before the other clubs moved in.
The report from SPORT further indicates that the player also wants to live in Spain, which could be a factor going in Barcelona’s favor in what is going to be a complex battle between top clubs for a single player.
