After deciding to leave Manchester City upon his contract expiring, Ilkay Gundogan has penned a deal with Barcelona that ties him to the Catalan club for at least the next two seasons. The future of the German midfielder has been up in the air for the past six months, and although Manchester City did offer him a deal to stay at the Etihad Stadium, the 32-year-old has decided that the time is right for a new challenge.
In Manchester, Gundogan won everything there is to win in English football including five Premier League titles. He signed off as a treble-winner following the club's 1-0 win over Inter Milan in the 2023 Champions League final and he now heads to Barcelona looking to add some much-needed experience and steel in the middle of the park.
While there is much debate about where Gundogan will play in the Barcelona midfield, one certainty is the amount of money he will earn while he is there. Here is everything you need to know about the German's new contract.
How much is Gundogan going to earn at Barcelona?
Gundogan has signed a two-year deal with Barcelona with an option for a third year if both parties are satisfied with how the first two have gone. It's the kind of deal that the midfielder was waiting for Manchester City to offer him but the best he received from the Blues was a one-year offer with an option of a second.
According to a report in RAC1 – A Barcelona-based news outlet – Gundogan's contract at the club is worth around £7.7m per season. Interestingly, this is less than what Manchester City had reportedly offered him but the security of potentially having three years at Barcelona was enough for the Spanish Club to win the battle for his services.
Details of Ilkay Gündogan deal 🔵🔴
◉ €400m release clause;
◉ Contract until June 2025;
◉ Clause to extend until 2026;
◉ Picked Barcelona despite Man City attempts to keep him, Arsenal intererest and Saudi’s huge proposals. pic.twitter.com/rAxbBWNOi7
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 26, 2023
Gundogan's previous deal at Manchester City was said to be worth around £7.3m per season, meaning that Gundogan is receiving a pay rise despite being 32 years old and arguably past his peak. Having said that, his performances last season suggest there is still plenty of gas in the German's tank.
Another interesting part of Gundogan's contract at Barcelona is the fact that a release clause has been included. However, at £400m, it is unlikely that anyone is going to be breaking that clause any time soon.
Gundogan chooses prestige over money
When it became increasingly obvious that Manchester City weren't going to offer Gundogan the type of contract he was after, a few different clubs made an effort to sign him. While Barcelona quickly made him one of their top transfer targets, Arsenal were also said to be interested with Mikel Arteta keen to add him to his squad ahead of another title charge next season.
Meanwhile, the German also received a mammoth offer from Saudi Arabia. According to multiple reports, an unnamed Saudi club had offered Gundogan a two-year contract worth around £30m per season. This would have seen him quadruple his earnings but his heart was reportedly always set on a move to Barcelona if things didn't work out in Manchester.
