FC Barcelona have managed to conclude their summer transfer window with some of the best possible signings they could have ended up with given their financial woes. Chief among those signings is former Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan, who has continued to impress for FC Barcelona ever since his arrival in the summer.
However, his rather smooth arrival may have turned out completely differently after all. As revealed by the player himself to German outlet BILD in an interview, as highlighted by Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, the player provided insight into his arrival from City and how certain negotiations may have worked out differently:
“I’m honest. And many people don’t know this: in the end, it wasn’t just one or two years. There was no issue with the length of the contract. City waited quite a long time until the talks really intensified. If this had happened a bit earlier, the situation would have been different.”
However, the new Barcelona player did end up acknowledging that he is happy with how the situation evolved given the realization of his lifelong goal to represent FC Barcelona at one point in his career. He stated:
“…So in the end, it was the perfect timing, it couldn’t have come at a better time. It was also my childhood dream to play for FC Barcelona.”
Moreover, he further elaborated that his arrival was not only fuelled by sentimental values but also by rational thinking that assessed Barca’s future potential. Showering particular praise towards the club’s youngsters and veterans, the player had the following to say in regards to Barcelona:
“If I hadn’t seen the potential, I wouldn’t have made the move to Barcelona. We have incredible talent in the team, along with experience and quality with Robert Lewandowski, Frenkie de Jong, Marc-André ter Stegen, and myself. The talent here is incredible, especially since Lamine Yamal is a player who just turned 16.”
He continued to emphasize the importance of experience within a player and also placed particular emphasis on the influence of Xavi Hernandez on his arrival at FC Barcelona:
“We spoke on the phone several times before the transfer. I immediately had a good feeling. I think we are very similar in personality. Even as a player, he had some facets in his game that also appear in mine. That could be one of the reasons why he values me.”
FC Barcelona next take the field on the 12th of September against Real Betis, following the conclusion of the ongoing international break.
Ilkay Gundogan is expected to be amongst the starters for Xavi Hernandez not just for the clash against the Andalusian outfit, but also for the entirety of the 2023/2024 season as a primary player within Xavi’s Barcelona.
