Manchester United win race for Gundogan

Manchester United seem to have sorted out their transfers in time and look set to announce their second signing of the summer after Memphis Depay. If reports are to be believed, Manchester United may have finally signed Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan for £20m, who will become the first German to sign for the club from Manchester.

The 24 old midfielder has had a mixed last few seasons at the German club. He was a crucial part of the team that won the double in the 2011-2012 season and also reached the Champions League final the following year where he scored from the penalty spot against the 2-1 defeat to German rivals Bayern Munich. In August 2013, he was sidelined for almost an year with a serious back injury. Gundogan signed a new contract in 2014 to keep him at the club till 2016. On 28th April, he and Sebastian Kehl scored in the penalty shootout to knock out arch rivals Bayern Munich from the the German Cup. 2 days later, Borussia Dortmund announced that Gundogan won’t be signing an extension to his contract which runs down in 2016.

Louis van Gaal sees Gundogan as the long term replacement to his midfield maestro Michael Carrick. His intelligence in possession and tactical discipline have often been compared to the Manchester United man, although Gundogan offers greater mobility and creativity.