Transfer News: FC Barcelona Signs Ilkay Gundogan
![Barcelona Signs Ilkay Gundogan](https://ghanaeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/gundo-1-1024x640.webp)
Ilkay Gundogan, a seasoned midfielder, has been officially signed by Barcelona on a free transfer from Manchester City.
The 32-year-old was slated to leave Manchester City this summer as his contract was up. Barça had been putting a lot of effort into getting him signed for a very long time.
And Barcelona was successful in persuading the German international to move to Catalonia despite opposition from Arsenal, Saudi Arabia, and Manchester City.
Last week, a deal with the player was completed, and director Mateu Alemany travelled to Munich to seal the deal.
💙❤ @IlkayGuendogan és CULER! pic.twitter.com/xkKP4xJO0T
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_cat) June 26, 2023
And now that the transfer has been formally approved, the Blaugrana can start the summer off right.
Gundogan has agreed to a two-year deal with Barcelona that runs through the summer of 2025. He also has a one-year extension option, which will probably be exercised depending on how many appearances he makes in his second season with the club.
A release clause worth €400 million is also included in the contract of the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder.
Gundogan will be hoping to achieve a similar level of success at Barcelona in the upcoming years after recently guiding Manchester City to a historic treble this past season.
After helping Manchester City to win a back to back English Premier League and also the Champions League, Gundogan is looking forward to achieve some at FC Barcelona.
These were his words as he joined FC Barcelona;
“If I was going to move, there is only one club in the world that made sense. It was Barcelona or nothing. Ever since I was a little kid, I dreamed of wearing that shirt some day. I am confident that I have a few more years left at the highest level, and I just want to help bring Barcelona back to where they deserve to be. I can’t wait to play in the Barcelona shirt.”
READ ALSO: Diploma Graduates Cannot Write Teacher Licensure Exams Again – NTC