Strengthening their midfield is one of the top-most priorities for FC Barcelona in this summer transfer window, and the club had identified Ilkay Gundogan as one of the best players that could complement the current squad in the next season.
While the operation to sign him saw a number of twists and turns during the last few months, good news is now coming in for Barcelona fans.
Last Wednesday, FC Barcelona were reported to have gotten the signature of Ilkay Gundogan to a contract of two years and the option to extend it for another year. The player’s medical was held in Munich, and it was there that the player and Mateu Alemany finalized their negotiations too.
Now having successfully taken care of the intricacies and details of the contract between the two parties, FC Barcelona have officially announced the signing of Ilkay Gundogan. The player will stay with Barcelona till 2025 under this contract, and will have a release clause of €400 million.
The player had an exceptional season with Manchester City, in which he won the treble, and won his first-ever UEFA Champions League title. After seven years with the Manchester club, there were reports that the player wants to play in Spain for some years before he retires, and FC Barcelona presented him with this opportunity.
However, the signing of Gundogan was in no way an easy task. Manchester City and Pep Guardiola both kept pushing the player to sign a renewal with City. Similarly, Arsenal were also highly interested in the player, and other sides like Borussia Dortmund also wanted the player for the next season.
Barcelona’s financial difficulties and lack of a guarantee that Gundogan’s contract will be registered with La Liga made things further difficult for Barcelona. However, Alemany and Co. have been able to successfully land the midfielder, who is almost sure to improve the club’s midfield going into the next season.
