Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan leaves club on back of treble-winning season to join LaLiga winners Barcelona; Germany international Gundogan spent seven years at Etihad Stadium and Pep Guardiola had made clear his hopes of keeping him in Manchester.
Gundogan leaves Manchester on the back of the club’s greatest season, lifting the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League trophies within the space of a month.
He spent seven years at the Etihad Stadium since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2016, and manager Pep Guardiola had publicly hinted at his own desire to extend that stay further.
Gundogan was in talks with City over a new deal ahead of his contract expiry at the end of this week.
However, the length of the deal on offer for the 32-year-old – one year plus an option of a further 12 months – was a sticking point, and he has instead penned a two-year contract, also including a 12-month option, with LaLiga champions Barcelona. His release clause has been set at €400m (£342m).
Gundogan told the Manchester City club website: “For me, it has been a total privilege and pleasure to be part of Manchester City for the last seven years.
“Manchester has been my home and I have felt part of a very special family at City.
Source: Sky Sport
