In a recent report, The Telegraph mentioned that Barcelona are eager to land Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan. It has been revealed that the Catalan club are showing interest in recruiting the German international this year.
Gundogan’s Impressive Form At The Etihad Stadium
Gundogan is having another decent campaign for Man City as he has produced a few influential displays at the centre of Pep Guardiola’s midfield. The 32-year-old has found the back of the net on two occasions and secured two assists in 25 matches for the Mancunian club this season across various competitions.
The veteran midfielder has performed well by averaging 1.2 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, 1.8 shots and 1.7 key passes per game in the Premier League. He has even been accurate when distributing the ball from midfield, based on his pass success rate of 88.9% in the English top tier (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the German club is set to run out in the summer of 2023. Hence, Barca has got a chance to land him on the cheap this winter or on a free transfer at the end of this season.
Should Barcelona Head Coach Xavi Bring Gundogan On Board?
Gundogan can do a bit of everything at the centre of the park. He is a good tackler of the ball and can time his challenges well to secure the ball back for his team in midfield. He can strike the ball well from long range and has got the eye to play some decisive passes in the final third. Gundogan mainly operates as a box-to-box midfielder but can also play as a defensive midfielder or in the number position if asked to do so.
The German talent can even contribute by scoring and creating his fair share of goals going forward. Thus, Barcelona should give it their all in pursuit of Gundogan’s services during this January transfer period as he ticks all the right boxes in terms of what they are looking for at the moment.
The Man City talent will inject more quality into Xavi‘s midfield department at the Nou Camp. He could even help the Catalan club compete for some top honours over the next few years.
At 32, Gundogan still has a few good years left in his locker to play at a high level. Therefore, Xavi would be wise to bring him on board before the transfer window slams shut in a couple of weeks’ time.
