Barcelona growing increasingly confident of signing Manchester City midfield maestro

Barcelona are growing increasingly confident that Ilkay Gundogan will join the club this summer, ManchesterWorld understands.

The Manchester City midfielder has been in talks with Barcelona over recent months and favours a move to the Nou Camp, one which is looking more and more likely. Gundogan’s contract at the Etihad is set to expire this summer and he is expected to complete a transfer to the Catalan club.

Asked about his future earlier this week, Gundogan said: "There are talks in the background, I think it’s normal, but without going into too much detail, there’s nothing decided yet, so the talks continue and if there’s a decision you guys will be the first to know.”

But Barcelona are now at the stage of discussing the deal with La Liga, who must set spending limits before a transfer can be completed. Although nothing has been 100 percent confirmed yet, Gundogan, at 32, feels this will be his last lucrative contract, and a deal should be easily completed given it will be a free transfer.

Barcelona’s recruitment policy has been scrutinised in recent years after they sold off future merchandising and TV revenue in order to sanction transfers for the likes of Jules Kounde, Franck Kessie, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski. Assuming a deal is completed, Gundgan will join ex-City team-mates Eric Garcia and Ferran Torres in Catalonia.

Gundogan was Pep Guardiola’s first signing at City and has gone on to make nearly 300 appearances for the club, scoring 54 goals. The German international has won four league titles in Manchester, as well as the FA Cup on one occasion and the EFL Cup four times.

Speaking earlier this year, Guardiola said he would like Gundogan to remain at City beyond this season. “He knows exactly my opinion about him. The club knows it and it is a question for him and his agent,” said the City boss.

“What is going to happen I’m pretty sure is going to be good for him. Really we want how he is behaving how he has behaved all his life in Manchester, but what is going to happen? This kind of thing belongs to the club and the player.”