Manchester City are reportedly trying to keep hold of Ilkay Gundogan amid transfer interest from Barcelona.
The 32-year-old is set to see his contract at the Etihad Stadium expire in June, which has caught the attention of other clubs potentially looking to sign him.
Now though, some behind-the-scenes details emerged regarding one particular club’s interest in the German.
Barcelona looking to offer Gundogan a three-year deal
According to a recent report from Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), Barcelona are keen to sign Gundogan as a free agent this summer and are looking to offer him a three-year contract to convince him to join.
The report also adds that Pep Guardiola will fight to keep hold of the midfielder, which will only happen if he signs a new deal at the Manchester club.
City signed Gundogan back in the 2016 summer transfer window from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth a reported fee of £20m, making him the first player Guardiola signed as City’s manager.
Since then, the German international has gone on to make 301 appearances for the Citizens across all competitions, scoring 58 goals, providing 40 assists and winning numerous trophies along the way.
Having featured in 48 of City’s games this season, it’s clear how valuable the club captain is for Guardiola’s side and why the manager is keen to keep hold of him.
In fact, after seeing the veteran score two goals in the 3-0 win over Everton, the Spaniard reiterated his hopes of seeing Gundogan continue his journey with City, hailing him as a player that “can do everything.”
With all of that in mind, we feel that, given Guardiola’s insistence, the club should do all they can behind the scenes to get the midfield maestro to sign a new contract and keep him out of Barcelona’s clutches.
