Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan set to join Barcelona, reports say

LONDON – Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan is set to leave the treble winners to join Barcelona on a free transfer, according to reports on Wednesday.

The German is believed to have been offered a three-year deal by Barcelona and is expected to complete his move to the Spanish champions when his City contract expires at the end of June.

City were reported to have been willing to give their 32-year-old captain a new one-year contract with the option of a further 12 months.

That did not happen, however, as Gundogan’s impending move to the Nou Camp was revealed on the same day City agreed a £30 million (S$51 million) deal to sign Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic, 29, as his replacement.

Kovacic’s versatility and experience would help compensate for the loss of the influential Gundogan, whose leadership and knack for scoring crucial goals played a key role in City’s success in Pep Guardiola’s reign.

Gundogan netted twice in City’s FA Cup final victory over Manchester United this season before Guardiola’s Premier League champions went on to beat Inter Milan in the Champions League final.

The Germany international played 51 games this term, scoring 11 goals including six in his last seven appearances during the tense treble run-in.

He will be fondly remembered by City fans as one of the understated touchstones of their club’s golden era.

The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder has won five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and the Champions League in his seven years at City.

His compatriot, Kai Havertz, is also on the move.

Arsenal have agreed a deal in principle to sign the forward from Chelsea for around £65 million, The Athletic reported on Wednesday.

The report said personal terms with Havertz have been agreed and the 24-year-old’s move across London will see Arsenal pay an initial fee of £62 million with a further £3 million in add-ons.

Havertz would be Arsenal’s second-most expensive signing after they paid a club-record fee of around £72 million for Ivory Coast forward Nicolas Pepe in 2019.

The German was signed by Chelsea on a five-year contract in 2020 for around £71 million after two prolific seasons with Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.

At Chelsea, he won the Champions League in his first season, scoring the winner in the 2021 final against City.

Played in several positions in the front line and midfield, Havertz scored 14 goals in the 2021-22 campaign but he netted only nine times last season as Chelsea struggled to score under three different managers and finished 12th in the table.

The Blues are offloading players in the close season after spending over €600 million (S$885 million) on new signings since they were bought in 2022 by an investment group led by American businessman Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

Arsenal finished second behind City and have qualified for the Champions League for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign. AFP, REUTERS