After 7 years, Ilkay Gündogan is looking for other places: the 32-year-old German international moves from Manchester City to Barcelona on a free transfer. As captain, the midfielder was able to lift the championship cup, the FA Cup and the Champions League last season. He signed until 2025 with an option for an extra year in Spain.
The deal has been in the air for a while, this morning both clubs announced its completion. Ilkay Gundogan is a Manchester icon, arriving a year after Kevin De Bruyne as Pep Guardiola’s first incoming transfer from Dortmund.
In the summer of last year, Pep Guardiola gave him the captain’s armband. He played 51 games with Manchester City this season, scoring 11 goals.
He leaves on a high: in his last 7 games, the midfielder managed 6 goals, 2 of which came in the FA Cup final against Manchester United (2-1).
Gundogan refused a new contract with City and preferred a new adventure at Barcelona.
Gundogan played a total of 304 games for City, scoring 60 goals. He was part of 12 important trophies, including 5 Premier League titles and thus the first Champions League final victory in club history.
“Hundreds of Unforgettable Moments”
“Manchester has been my home, I was part of a very special family at City,” Gundogan told the Premier League club’s website.
He said he experienced “hundreds of unforgettable moments”. Delivering the treble as captain was the “most fantastic experience” of his career. Barça included a buyout clause of 400 million euros in the contract.
De Bruyne: “More than a teammate”
Kevin De Bruyne lived through Gundogan’s entire spell at City: “More than a teammate! Thank you, legend! I’m going to miss you at this club. But you leave with all the shared memories.”
Tweets from the parties involved:
2023-06-26 08:52:59
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