Manchester City will face stiff competition in the form of FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in their pursuit of Germany international Ilkay Gundogan this summer, according to the Daily Mirror.
The Premier League giants, who eased past rock-bottom Aston Villa 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon, are keen on recruiting the Borussia Dortmund midfielder at the end of the current 2015-16 campaign.
The 25-year-old, who has 16 international caps for the 2014 World Cup winners, has scored three goals and provided seven assists in 36 appearances in all competitions for the Bundesliga outfit so far this season.
Gundogan; who has rejected a new deal with Dortmund, has now alerted the likes of City, Barca and Madrid regarding his services this summer, with the report suggesting that Manuel Pellegrini’s side are currently the favourites to land his signature.
Incoming manager Pepe Guardiola has made public his admiration of the German star and he could prioritise trying to sign Gundogan once he replaces Chilean boss Pellegrini as City manager at the Etihad Stadium this summer.