We're off to Barcelona With Ilkay Gündogan! The Club Received Final Approval to Register him as a New Signing

We're off to Barcelona With Ilkay Gündogan! The Club Received Final Approval to Register him as a New Signing

Gundogan will turn into a free agent on June 30 once his Manchester City contract lapse and is purportedly propped to turn into the most recent Barcelona signing.

The midfielder is also a target for Premier League runners-up Arsenal who were hoping to lure Gundogan to the Emirates, but it appears Barcelona maintain pole position.

Gundogan has been released by Manchester City, however there is still time for him to agree a contract to extend his stay under Pep Guardiola who recently admitted he 'wishes' the player would remain at the club.

Barcelona have been avid admirers of Gundogan and have expressed their intent to bring the German international to the Nou Camp as a free agent this summer.

They have now stepped up their efforts to secure Gundogan's commitment by sending director of football Mateu Alemany to Munich in an effort to thrash out the remaining details, as reported by Mundo Deportivo.

The 32-year-old started in Germany's surprise 2-0 defeat against Colombia on Tuesday, and has reportedly had one eye on developments with Barcelona before heading off for a break following the conclusion of the season.

Contracts have apparently been viewed by all the involved parties and Barcelona feel they are in a strong position to complete an imminent deal for Gundogan.

There are also positive indications that Barcelona could register the player without any delay despite their precarious financial position that has impacted transfers in recent times.

In March it was ruled that the club must raise £178m if they want to sign players in order to comply with financial rules imposed on them by LaLiga.

However, there is a reported belief that Barcelona feel they will face no issues in registering the Treble-winning midfielder once Gundogan agrees to join them.

Meanwhile, first-team coach Xavi has apparently been responsible for speaking to the player and appears to have convinced him that Barcelona is the perfect destination.

Man City and Arsenal offered better financial packages, but Gundogan reportedly wants to stay at the Catalan club, so it's only a matter of time before a deal is done.

Source All Football