Barcelona set to finalise Ilkay Gundogan deal

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Barcelona set to finalise Ilkay Gundogan deal

Barcelona are set to confirm the signing of Ilkay Gundogan, sources have told 90min.

The 32-year-old midfielder has been in talks with Barca since the turn of the year and a move to Camp Nou was always believed to have been his favoured option.

Gundogan finished the season in fine form, playing a huge part in City completing the Treble.

City offered him the chance to remain at the Etihad Stadium but, after nine seasons in England, Gundogan has decided to join Barca - a decision which he confirmed to Pep Guardiola and the club's hierarchy after the Champions League final win over Inter.

Sources close to Gundogan have always insisted that finances have not been a key factor in the deal, but based around his family. Gundogan has agreed what could become a three-year deal with Barca, although the final year is an option.

Barcelona included the signing of Gundogan in their financial viability plans that were approved by La Liga earlier this month and once he puts pen-to-paper, there should be no issues with his contract being registered. Barca finally saw the new contract for midfield star Gavi approved earlier this week

The move gives Gundogan the chance to play for Xavi - someone who he has previously described as one of his heroes.

"There was not a specific player for me, but there were players like Zidane or Xavi, or even a player like Andrea Pirlo. They are players I loved to watch and enjoyed very much—maybe the reason is that I play a similar position to them," Gundogan stated earlier this year.

"As a central midfielder I like to watch how other controlling midfielders behave during a game: what kind of passes they play, what kind of solutions they have for different situations. I try to watch the game from a position of a midfielder."The move gives Gundogan the chance to play for Xavi - someone who he has previously described as one of his heroes.

"There was not a specific player for me, but there were players like Zidane or Xavi, or even a player like Andrea Pirlo. They are players I loved to watch and enjoyed very much—maybe the reason is that I play a similar position to them," Gundogan stated earlier this year.

"As a central midfielder I like to watch how other controlling midfielders behave during a game: what kind of passes they play, what kind of solutions they have for different situations. I try to watch the game from a position of a midfielder."