İlkay Gündoğan to Barcelona has been one of the most widely discussed transfer sagas of the window so far. With the German midfielder out of contract at Manchester City this summer, and having had one of the best seasons of his career, Barça are very keen on acquiring his services for free.
According to Pep Guardiola himself, “Xavi has called him (Gündoğan) a lot. If, in the end, he picks Barça, I will tell him he will enjoy himself.” Guardiola, speaking at a golf tournament, added: “I hope he stays with us. We are still fighting for him to stay with us. He is a player we want to stay, and we will do all we can, but we know Barça want him.”
The Manchester City manager spoke with complete transparency on the situation, and reiterated many times that he is desperate for Gündoğan to remain with the English Champions. It should come as no surprise, with City having had the most successful season in their history, and the German being a key cog in the team.
Gündoğan has really received his flowers this season, so much so that he is an outside pick for the Ballon d’Or. If Barcelona were to pick him up for free it would undoubtedly be one of the best signings this summer for a team in Europe. Even at the age of 32, he shows no signs of slowing down and in actual fact, he has only improved in the last three years. Also able to play anywhere across the midfield, it is no surprise as to why Xavi is going all out for Gündoğan.
Japtej Ghura | GSFN
