Barcelona superstar played a key role in convincing Ilkay Gundogan to sign for the La Liga giants - Reports

Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski reportedly played a key role in his club potentially signing Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer this week.

According to journalist Tomasz Wlodarczyk (via Barca Universal), Lewandowski met with Gundogan following Poland's match against Germany. The two teams clashed horns in an international friendly on last week, with the Poles winning 1-0.

The forward, who joined Barcelona only last summer, is rumored to have convinced Gundogan, his former Borussia Dortmund teammate, to join the Catalans. Those conversations seem to be on the verge of bearing fruit as well.

Transfer news specialist Fabrizio Romano reported on Wednesday, June 21, that the Blaugrana had received final approval to sign and register the German. Romano provided the update via his Twitter account, writing:

"Ilkay Gündogan to Barcelona, here we go! Final approval arrived on club side to register him as new signing, green light from the player. It’s done deal, signed few minutes ago."

Gundogan, whose contract with Manchester City expires at the end of the month, is set to join the club on a two-year deal with an option for a further year.

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Robert Lewandowski and Ilkay Gundogan will reunite at Barcelona after teaming up to great effect previously

As mentioned earlier, Robert Lewandowski and Ilkay Gundogan played together for Borussia Dortmund between the 2011-12 and 2013-14 seasons.

The duo shared the pitch on 77 occasions and combined for one goal, outscoring opponents 190-84 on their way to 50 wins and 14 draws. They helped Dortmund clinch the Bundesliga title and DfB Pokal in the 2011-12 campaign before guiding them to the 2012-13 UEFA Champions League final.

Lewandowski then departed for rivals Bayern Munich on a free transfer in the summer of 2014. He stayed with the Bavarians for eight years, scoring 344 times in 375 matches across competitions.

The Pole won eight Bundesliga titles, the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and three DfB Pokals. Lewandowski joined Barcelona last summer and scored 33 times in 46 matches across competitions, helping them win La Liga and the Supercopa de Espana.

Gundogan, meanwhile, stayed with Dortmund until the summer of 2016, finishing his stint at Signal Iduna Park with 15 goals and 20 assists in 157 appearances. He joined Manchester City as the first signing of the Pep Guardiola era and went on to make 304 appearances for the club, recording 60 goals and 40 assists.

In the 2022-23 season, Gundogan captained City to the treble, winning his fifth Premier League title, second FA Cup and his and the club's maiden Champions League title.