Ilkay Gündogan returns to Manchester City. A round trip for the German midfielder, after his time at Barcelona lasted just one year. The 33-year-old German (he will turn 34 on October 24) agreed a one-year contract with Txiki Begiristain, director of football at the English club. “After a year, the time has come to say goodbye. I came here to face a new and exciting challenge, and I was ready for it. I have given everything to fight for the team and the club in the best possible way in a difficult season and I was eager to help my teammates in the new campaign,” said Gündogan to Barcelona.
Last summer, Gündogan arrived at Barça in search of a new challenge. “I felt it was the right thing to do to come here. It was wonderful to be able to show myself that I could play in a different league, in a different country,” he said upon arriving in Barcelona. And things didn’t go badly for him, especially considering his individual performance after Xavi’s team came up empty last season. Gündogan scored five goals and provided 14 assists in 51 games. Numbers that were not enough, at least for Hansi Flick.
The coach and the footballer had been together in the German national team. feeling He was never good at it. That’s why when Flick took over from Xavi, Gündogan frowned. It didn’t take long for the coach to reveal his idea. “You won’t be indispensable in the starting eleven. I have Pedri and Dani Olmo to cover that position,” the coach told him last Thursday, in a talk at the Ciudad Deportiva. That same night, Gündogan phoned Pep Guardiola. “Can I come back?” he asked. Guardiola promised him that he would do everything possible to make his return happen. “He wanted to help us, but he changed his mind this week. I know him and I can only say good things about him. He’s a fantastic player and person,” Flick explained on Friday. A few minutes earlier, City had made official the return of Gündogan to the Etihad Stadium.
A good deal for City, a financial relief for Barcelona. When Mateu Alemany, the former director of football at Barcelona, signed Gündogan, they agreed a three-year contract. The third year, however, was subject to a number of games that the player had to play for Barça. The German reached that number of games last season, according to those in the offices of the Ciudad Deportiva Joan Gamper. “Players have to leave. One of them could be Gündogan. We don’t rule out his departure,” Barcelona said after securing Olmo’s signing. The problem was that the German didn’t think the same. However, he was beginning to feel the pressure from the club. “He started to hear all kinds of things, that he’s fat, that he’s paid too much, that he’s old,” complained those close to the player.
Without a protective shield from the press or the coaching staff, the best alternative was a friendly exit. Gündogan ruled out taking refuge in Qatar —”I feel competitive,” he said— and agreed with Barcelona to terminate the contract, his weapon to convince Begiristain: City was not willing to pay a transfer fee. Barcelona thought it was right, the main objective of the Catalan club was to save the German’s salary (around 40 million over the next two seasons) and thus win. fair play financially to sign Dani Olmo. “I am now leaving in a difficult situation, but if my departure can help the club financially, that makes me feel a little less sad,” Gündogan concluded in his farewell letter on social media.
The Spaniard’s registration, however, is still up in the air. “It’s not my job to talk about registrations. I really like Olmo’s work. He’s ready to play. I hope he’ll be ready tomorrow. He’s a fantastic player. I see him in training, under pressure,” concluded Flick. Barcelona host Athletic Club on Saturday (19.00, Dazn).
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