Ilkay Gundogan has left Manchester City and joined Barcelona on a free transfer at the conclusion of his contract with the club. On the other hand, Luka Modric will continue to play for Real Madrid after extending his contract until the 2024–2025 season.
Gundogan, who is 32 years old and plays midfield for Germany, has agreed to a contract that is for two years, has an extension possibility for an additional year, and has a release clause that is for 400 million euros ($436 million).
“He is bringing his presence, nose for goal, and reading of the game which has made him one of the best midfielders of the past decade,” Barcelona stated in a statement. “He has made himself into one of the best midfielders of the past decade.”
Since joining Pep Guardiola’s City side in 2016, Gundogan has been a significant figure for the club, eventually becoming the team captain and leading the squad to an incredible treble this season.
The midfielder scored twice in City’s victory against their archrivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final, and Guardiola said that City are attempting to extend his contract.
Gundogan came to City from Borussia Dortmund, where he was a champion in 2012, winning both the Bundesliga and the German Cup.
He made 304 appearances for Manchester City and scored 60 goals during his time there.
In the meanwhile, Modric, who is 37 years old, made the decision to remain with Real Madrid despite significant interest from Saudi Arabia, which was hoping to recruit him at the conclusion of his current deal, which is set to expire this month.
This summer, the Croatian player extended his contract with Real Madrid, following in the footsteps of Toni Kroos, Dani Ceballos, and Nacho Fernandez.
A statement released by Real Madrid said, “In his 11 seasons defending our shirt, he has played 488 games and won 23 trophies.” This information was included in the statement.
Since joining Real Madrid in 2012 from Tottenham, Modric has won the Champions League a total of five times, as well as the Spanish league championship three times and the Copa del Rey on two separate occasions.
In September of 2018, I will become 38 years old. The winner of the Ballon d’Or, Luka Modric, will have tough competition at the Santiago Bernabeu next season.
While Kroos, Ceballos, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Fede Valverde are competing for roster spots, Madrid began the month of June by acquiring Jude Bellingham, an English international who played for Borussia Dortmund, for more than 100 million euros (about 109 million dollars).
Youngster Bellingham said during his presentation that he was particularly looking forward to gaining knowledge from Modric and Kroos.