Ilkay Gundogan points blame at Man City over failed contract extension as he suggests 'dream' Barcelona transfer might not have happened

Gundogan left Man City after seven years at the start of the summer, signing for Barcelona on a free transfer. The German reportedly turned down a contract extension from Man City in May, after being displeased with the length of the deal on the table. But he has revealed that the duration of the contract alone wasn't the only reason he traded Manchester for Catalonia.

In the end, it wasn't about a year or two. It didn't hit the runtime. City waited a relatively long time for the talks to really get more intense. If that had happened a little earlier, the starting position would have been different," Gundogan told German publication Bild.

Still, Gundogan also conceded that he may have picked the right time to move on: "So in the end it was the perfect ending, there couldn't have been a better time. It was also my childhood dream to play for FC Barcelona.

Gundogan will be in the picture for Germany as they take on Japan and France in two high-profile friendlies this week.