Barcelona is already forming a solid team for next season’s Champions League campaign. The Catalans have agreed a deal in principle to sign Manchester City’s classy midfielder Ilkay Gundogan on a 2+1 year contract with a gross salary of $12 million per season. The Germany international will join the Camp Nou club when his contract at the Etihad expires at the end of June. 🔄 (GUNDOGAN): The arrival of İlkay Gundogan is practically closed. He would sign for 2 seasons with another optional with a salary of €12m/year gross.#FCB 🇩🇪Via (🟢): @ferrancorreas [sport] pic.twitter.com/7uHQAkCNoQ— Barça Buzz (@Barca_Buzz) April 14, 2023 Pep Guardiola will lose one of his best and most consistent players and will receive no transfer fee. It’s a big coup for Barca, who continue to bring in proven players without paying transfer fees. Of course, there is the “small” matter of a multi-million salary, but you can’t get away from those.Catalan sports daily SPORT reports that Ilkay’s agent and uncle Ilhan Gundogan visited Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, Barcelona’s training and business centre, to talk to Barca’s director of football Mateu Alemany and arrange the final details of the contract. It wasn’t the first time these guys met, by the way. We reported on one of their meetings back in February.Not-so-secret meeting between Gundogan’s men and Barca: The Catalans want Manchester City’s captainThe Cityzens tried to keep the experienced former Borussia Dortmund man, but he told Guardiola and City directors that he’d like a change in his career. The 32-year-old midfielder is playing in the form of his life and will surely boost Barcelona’s quality in the middle of the pitch. His vision, creativity, and ability to get stuck in and do the so-called dirty work is highly valued by Barcelona’s coach Xavi Hernandez, who was a similar player himself.As the Barca public continues to fantasize about a dream return of their favourite son Lionel Messi, genuine work is being done to improve the squad of the club that’s on the verge of winning the title in Spain after a four-year wait.##NAJAVA_MECA_7180202##Gundogan has been on Manchester City’s books since June 2016, when he joined from BVB for an estimated fee of $30 million. In the seven years at the Etihad Stadium, he made nearly 300 appearances and won four Premier League titles, an FA Cup and four League Cups. This season, he has a chance to lift the long-awaited UEFA Champions League with City, having starred in the thumping 3-0 win over Bayern in the quarter-final first leg.
