The captain of Manchester City Ilkay Gundogan (32) will leave on a free transfer to Barcelona at the end of this month. Despite receiving a new contract offer from City, Gundogan is believed to have struck a more advantageous three-year agreement with the Spanish champions. City Manager Pep Guardiola wanted to keep Gundogan since he was crucial to the team's Treble this year.

In 51 games played in 2022–2023, the German midfielder scored 11 goals. With six goals in his final seven games, including a double in City's 2-1 FA Cup final victory against Manchester United, Gundogan was a key factor in the team's success in the closing weeks of the season. He participated for the full 90 minutes as City defeated Inter Milan 1-0 in the Champions League final to add to their victories in the Premier League and FA Cup this season.

Guardiola stated earlier this month that he "hoped he can be successful" in keeping Gundogan and that City director Txiki Begiristain was "working" to do so. Following City's £30 million contract with Chelsea to buy Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic, Gundogan has decided to leave the club.