It is the first stone of the new project of Xavi Hernandez. It is the first signing, already officially confirmed, of Barcelona 2023-24. Is Ilkau Gundoganthe former captain of Manchester Citywhere he has won everything this season: Champions, Premier and FA Cup. But the German midfielder, of Turkish origin (32 years old), has decided to abandon the project of Pep Guardiola to pilot the new Barcelona.
He signs for two seasons, with the option of one more, depending on the games he plays and has a termination clause of 400 million euros. He supposes, moreover, lGundogan’s arrival at Barcelona a blessing for Xavi because it gives him a lot of resources in the center of the field.
Polyhedral player for Xavi
The former City captain may be a midfielder with a trade, even if his goalscoring ability is lost there. He can play inside, starting on the left flank, to get closer to the area and be decisive, both with passes and goals. And he can be, or at least that’s how Guardiola used it, up to a false nine to play with a different system.
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Gundogan is leaving City because he needs to explore new challenges away from England. There, after seven seasons, he has nothing more to win. At Barça, on the other hand, and just like his friend Lewandowski, With whom he coincided in Dortmund, he is the “silent leader”, as defined by Guardiola, who Xavi needs for his team to be important in Europe.
He was able to stay at City because Guardiola wanted him for at least one more year. He was able to choose the Arab route by receiving spectacular offers, out of market, from there. But in the end, Gundogan has decided to come to Barcelona to be the rebuilding pilot of a team that has dominated in Spain (League and Super Cup), but has crashed in Europe.
Waiting for the midfielder
It is, therefore, the first stone of Xavi’s second complete project, who landed in November 2021. The coach is missing, yes, the “top” defensive midfielder, as he himself recalled, capable of making up for the tremendous absence Sergio Busquets, who has already made his move to Inter Miami official where he will meet Messi again.
The coach needs a proven player, who does not feel the pressure that this place gives off. His favorite was Zubimendi, the midfielder of Real Sociedad. He has a clause of 60 million euros, but he does not want to leave San Sebastián. the option of Kimmich, the midfielder of Bayern Munich, also vanishes because they don’t let him leave Germany.
2023-06-26 08:26:17
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