Over the past few days, there has been a lot of chatter around Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan reaching a contract agreement with FC Barcelona over a summer move.
It has been reported that the 32-year-old would be signing a two-year contract with an additional option of twelve months.
However, his agent dismissed those rumours, while the Man City captain himself confirmed on Tuesday that he is yet to make a decision on his next move.
Now, Mundo Deportivo is reporting that things are going in the right direction as far as Barcelona’s pursuit of Gundogan is concerned.
What seems to be the only hitch in negotiations at this point is the midfielder accepting the salary terms that Barcelona are offering.
As per the report, Gundogan’s camp were demanding a contract worth €10 million per year (net), given as he would be arriving for free.
But, at this point, Barcelona, who need to reduce thier wage bill, are not in a position to meet those demands. Instead, the club can only offer a deal worth €6 million per year, which has become the norm according to the new salary scale implemented at the club.
Gundogan is aware that he will need to lower his wages if he is to join Barça in the summer. And if he accepts the €6 million per year deal being proposed, he will be a Barcelona player.
At Manchester City, there seems to be an acceptance that their captain will leave at the end of the season. Despite that, Pep Guardiola continues to count on Gundogan in matches and the 32-year-old is still delivering top displays.
The fact that he can operate as an interior or as a pivot midfielder, coupled with his availability for free, has made Gundogan a wanted commodity at Barcelona.
While Gundogan may turn 33 in October later this year, the Blaugrana cite the example of Real Madrid veteran Luka Modric who continues to perform at the highest level despite being 37 years old.
