Barcelona have agreed to a deal to sign midfielder Ilkay Gundogan on a two-year contract as a free transfer. Gundogan will become a free agent at the end of June after his contract with Manchester City expires. He was offered a new one-year deal at Etihad but turned it down.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the German player has decided to join Barcelona. Gundogan has signed a two-year contract at Camp Nou with an option to extend for an additional 12 months.
Romano wrote on Twitter: "Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona, Here we go! Deal completed and confirmed. Gundogan has agreed to a two-year contract until June 2025 with an option to extend for another year."
The news of Barcelona's acquisition of Gundogan will be a blow to their Premier League rivals, Arsenal. Manager Mikel Arteta had hoped to lure the midfielder to Emirates Stadium this summer.
However, the prospect of playing at Camp Nou and contending for titles in a third country seems to be too enticing for the German midfielder to resist.
Gundogan played a crucial role in Manchester City's historic treble-winning season (Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup).
The former Dortmund player scored both goals for the Blues in the FA Cup final against Manchester United earlier this month. Prior to that, he also scored important goals in the closing stages of the season to help Manchester City come from behind and defeat Arsenal, securing the Premier League title.
