Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez is confident that Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan will be in his squad next season.
Gundogan has played a key role at City in recent seasons, and over the next week will captain the club in two of the biggest matches of his career.
On Saturday, Pep Guardiola’s side will take on Manchester United in the FA Cup final at Wembley, the first time the two rivals will meet in the showpiece fixture.
A week later City will look to win the Champions League for the first time when they take on Inter Milan in Istanbul.
All focus is of course on those two games, but one slight distraction is the uncertainty surrounding the future of club captain Gundogan.
The German midfielder is out of contract in a few weeks, and so far has not come to an agreement with City about an extension.
It is understood that the 32-year-old – looking for one final contract at an elite-level club – wants a two-year deal, but that City have so far only offered him one.
Gundogan has been linked to Barcelona for months now, and the Spanish giants have reportedly put a two-year contract on the table.
Gundogan has previously said he will make a decision at the end of the season, but Xavi hinted that his club have won the contest.
“Well, the only thing I can share is that any footballer we are going to sign and that we have the chance to talk to wants to come here,” the Barca manager told Mundo Deportivo.
“I have not seen any player tell us: no, I prefer to go to another club.”
Earlier this week, Fabrizio Romano reported that City have entered talks to sign Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic.
If that is the case then the club could well be preparing for Gundogan’s exit.
