Barcelona are closely monitoring the situations of Youri Tielemans, N’Golo Kante and Ilkay Gundogan at their respective Premier League clubs, according to reports.
Tielemans’ contract with Leicester City expires at the end of June, and Kante’s current term with Chelsea expires next summer as well.
Gundogan is another player whose contract expires at the end of the 2022-23 season, with Man City failing to reach an agreement with the seasoned midfielder.
As per Sport, Barcelona are paying ‘special attention’ to the free transfer market for potential midfield reinforcements, with Tielemans, Kante, and Gundogan all being considered viable prospects.
Barcelona Interested In Tielemans, Kante, Gundogan?
According to the report, the Catalan club have been in contact with Kante’s agents “for several months” to discuss a possible move to Camp Nou.
Chelsea reportedly have no plans to extend Kante’s contract at Stamford Bridge, amid the World Cup winner’s fitness issues this season.
The 31-year-old has been out with a hamstring injury since the middle of August, and the Blues are thought to be hesitant to offer him the wages that would be needed to secure his future.
Meanwhile, Tielemans was generally anticipated to depart Leicester this summer, with Arsenal and Manchester United reportedly interested.
The Belgium international eventually stayed at the King Power Stadium past the deadline, but he is unlikely to sign a new contract with the struggling Foxes and is expected to go on a free transfer next year.
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Meanwhile, Gundogan is nearing the end of his contract at Manchester City, and there have been rumors that he may leave in 2023.
The 31-year-old has continued to play a key role for the Citizens this season, appearing on 13 times across all competitions and producing two goals and one assist.
Despite his position as club captain, Gundogan is not a lock to start for the English champions, and he might go for a new challenge next season.
Barcelona are likely to lose Sergio Busquets on a free transfer in 2023, with the seasoned midfielder possibly headed to the MLS, while Frenkie de Jong remains heavily linked with a move away.
Following Wednesday’s 3-3 draw with Inter Milan, which left the Italian giants in charge of second place in Group E, Barcelona have an uphill task to reach the knockout phase of this season’s Champions League.
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