Man City ‘now optimistic’ Gundogan will stay as Arsenal interest forces them offer ‘similar salary’

Man City are now confident that Ilkay Gundogan will remain at the Etihad Stadium amid interest from Arsenal and Barcelona, according to reports.

The Germany international’s current deal at the Etihad Stadium expires at the end of the season and the player and club are yet to find a resolution during talks.

There have been rumours for a long time that Catalan giants Barcelona have an interest in taking Gundogan to La Liga – but reports this week have claimed Arsenal could now be an option.

The Athletic journalist David Ornstein provided an update on Monday morning, he wrote: “Reports last week linked them to Ilkay Gundogan as his Manchester City deal draws towards a close and speculation grows over whether he will prolong his career there or leave as a free agent.

“Arsenal do hold a concrete interest in Gundogan and Arteta is driving it, having worked with the 32-year-old German at the Etihad Stadium and identified him as the ideal replacement for Xhaka.

“Fresh efforts will be made to keep him at City and Gundogan has other possibilities including Barcelona, but as things stand, no agreements have been reached and the situation is still open.”

Spanish publication Sport now claim that Barcelona are still interested in signing Gundogan on a free transfer in the summer but that Man City are now ‘finalising the option to be able to renew him at the last minute’.

A one-year extension was ‘rejected’ by Gundogan and now Man City have made a ‘second’ offer for a two-year offer with a ‘similar salary’ to his current terms.

With Barcelona and now Arsenal pursuing a deal for the German, Man City ‘raised their bet’ with their ‘last minute insistence’ that he should stay at the Etihad.

In a separate report, The Sun insists that the ‘stand-off alerted Arsenal, who ran the champions close in the title race, to the possibility they could bring him to the Emirates for free this summer’ but there is ‘now optimism that a compromise can be reached which will see him extend his seven-year stay at the Etihad’.

The Sun add: ‘The deal proposed by City is believed to be structured differently to the one he has been offered at the Nou Camp but is closer to what he was looking for.’

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