Gündogan signing for Barça? All questions and answers

BarcelonaThis season, which is on track to be his last at Manchester City, is the most different for Ilkay Gündogan. “Since Fernandinho’s farewell, he has taken a step forward: he has inherited the captain’s armband and has become one of the leaders in the dressing room. He was already one of the singing voices of the team, but since he became captain he it looks more involved,” they comment to ARA from the entity’s sports city citizen. The German midfielder of Turkish descent, an old desire of Barça just before the arrival of Arda Turan (whom Luis Enrique preferred), is one of the indisputable figures of Pep Guardiola’s team, but his contract expires this season and has renewed “He is having a great season, not at the level of the goalscoring records of 2020-21 (17 goals), but of influence in the team. The most common midfield is: Rodrigo, De Bruyne and Gündogan.”

After six seasons in Manchester – it was the first signing of the coach of Santpedor when he landed on the bench skyblue in 2016–, Gündogan contemplates a change of scenery. He will turn 33 in October and is negotiating with Barça to join him. Last summer, Xavi Hernández actively and passively insisted on signing Bernardo Silva who, like the German international, is also attracted to the city of Barcelona. In the case of the Portuguese, however, the factor of proximity to Portugal, his native country, had to be added. But unlike Silva, who has a contract until 2025 and that City would not have let him leave for less than a fixed fee of 80 million, Gündogan is free to choose his future. He knows he can stay in England, but the Manchester club’s proposal envisages extending the bond for just one season.

On the other hand, at Barça, they are willing to offer him two to three courses. A long-term contract for a footballer of his age, but in exchange for having a more modest fee than the one he currently receives at City and which allows the Blaugrana club to space out the payments (a recurring formula since Mateu’s arrival German). The pitfalls of his landing in Barcelona are the same as those that condition the majority of the operations that the club wants to face: first it is necessary to reduce the wage bill and confirm that the operation could be carried out. “We are negotiating the operation. We trust to find a fit within the fair play”Barça sources tell ARA.

Gündogan is an explicit request from Xavi

His is a similar case to that of Andreas Christesen, a footballer whose contract is coming to an end, but who has more offers on the table. Taking into account a clause involving a transfer in the event that the club could not take over the registration does not convince those around Gündogan. Unlike the signing of Iñigo Martínez, if the midfielder reaches an agreement with Barça, but then cannot be registered, his link with the Blaugrana club would be broken. The German has not had a medical check-up – the Basque center did it remotely – but Barça’s medical services know that he has chronic difficulties in the lumbar area. This does not affect his performance, but it is a factor that must be taken into account when managing the minutes of a footballer who will already be banned. Robert Lewandowski, with whom he played at Borussia Dortmund, also suffers in this area of ​​the body.

The current captain citizen it is an explicit request from Xavi. With virtually no options to incorporate Bernardo Silva, Gündogan is an alternative that satisfies the coach. L’Egarenc is convinced that he would contribute a talent in an area where Pedri now falls almost exclusively. His signing is unrelated to the relief of Sergio Busquets – the favorite is still Zubimendi, but his price (60 million) makes one think of alternatives such as Guido Rodríguez – although he can also occupy the pivot position. “Gündogan can occupy various positions. At the end of the 2018-19 season, he did very well playing as a pivot during the absence of Fernandinho,” explains the journalist Sam Lee, which follows the current affairs of the City for The Athleticthe sports branch of The New York Times. “Guardiola has always wanted to have him in the team in the big matches. First looking for the fit with David Silva, De Bruyne and Fernandinho and, in recent years, also with Bernardo Silva,” he adds.

“He is a footballer who can play several roles. He plays as an attacking midfielder when he starts from the double pivot with Rodri or by breaking out behind the opposing defense, which is why he scored so many goals (17) in the 2020-21 season. Everything that he asked Guardiola, he knew how to do it. In addition, he has the necessary pause to know when to slow down or speed up the game. He can dictate the pace of a game like David Silva, and that is as a pivot or a more advanced midfielder.” analyzes Lee. The British journalist also emphasizes that Gündogan “has a great ability to understand where split balls will fall”: “He is phenomenal in second balls. Despite not being fast, he has great mobility.” Ultimately, Lee believes that the current captain skyblue would fit under Xavi’s orders: “It is easy to imagine a player like him in a club that practices a positional attack. Be it partnering with Pedri or, even, relevant Busquets”.

Pep Guardiola, last weekend, was full of praise for the footballer: “He is so intelligent, so competitive… He is one of the best players I have trained. He already knows that I would like to continue working together.” All these years, coach and player have been almost next-door neighbors in the same block of flats in Manchester. Ilkay Gündogan will have the last word.