Man City captain Ilkay Gundogan guided the club to a historic treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League last season; the Germany international is now set to join Barcelona for free after failing to agree a new deal at the Etihad
Thursday 22 June 2023 09:50, UK
Barcelona have agreed a deal to sign Ilkay Gundogan from Manchester City on a free transfer, with the midfielder set to pen a three-year contract.
The move has not been officially announced by either side but City have adopted a pragmatic approach due to the player's age and length of contract the 32-year-old was seeking, in keeping with similar situations over recent years.
Gundogan was in talks with City over a new deal, with his contract set to expire at the end of June.
However, the length of the deal on offer for the 32-year-old - one year plus an option of a further 12 months - was a sticking point. Arsenal were are also interested in Gundogan.
The influential former Borussia Dortmund midfielder has won five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and the Champions League in his seven years at City.
Gundogan lifted three trophies in the 2022/23 season as City became only the second English side to win the treble.
It comes as Man City have agreed a £30m deal to sign Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic, which would go some way to compensating for the loss of Gundogan.
The fee is understood to be worth an initial £25m guaranteed plus £5m in performance-related add-ons. A formal announcement of Kovacic joining last season's treble winners is expected soon.
Kovacic has been at Chelsea since joining from Real Madrid - initially on loan - in the summer of 2018.
The Croatia international has won four major trophies during his time at Chelsea - including his fourth Champions League in 2021 - while going on to make 221 appearances for the club.
Kyle Walker would prefer to stay at Manchester City this summer despite interest from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
Sky in Germany are reporting that Bayern are in advanced negotiations to sign the City defender, but it is understood the 33-year-old wants to remain at the Etihad and sign an extension to his existing contract.
Walker has one year left on his current deal and City have no desire to sell him this summer.
Man City will also not stand in Bernardo Silva's way if he wishes to leave the club.
However, as has previously been the case, the player and his representatives must request a transfer and present a suitable offer to the treble-winners to consider.
Paris Saint-German are interested in signing him, while Barcelona are also long-term admirers of the Portugal international.
In an ideal world for City, Silva would stay and sign a new long-term contract, having been instrumental in their momentous achievements last season, winning the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup trophies.
However, Silva is understood to have considered a move away from City last summer, which did not materialise.
Who will be on the move this summer when the transfer window opens on June 14 and closes at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
