It’s no secret that Barcelona are very much interested in Manchester City midfielder İlkay Gündoğan, and given his contractual situation, which expires at the end of the season at the English club, the desire to bring him to Catalonia can very much come to fruition soon.
Gündoğan is an amazing player, who – despite usually not getting as much of the limelight as his fellow colleagues like Kevin de Bruyne or Bernardo Silva – has played an integral part in City’s success since his move from Borussia Dortmund. Barça’s sports management and Xavi’s coaching staff very much admire the player and would like to see him in the Blaugrana shirt from next season for various reasons.
1. Market opportunity
Firstly, the German international will become a free agent in the summer of 2023 and would arrive at Camp Nou without a single penny paid to Manchester City for his playing rights. This is a huge positive in favor of his signing given the miserable financial situation of the club that continues to struggle with registering new contracts.
2. Versatility
Gündoğan is also much appreciated because of his versatility. He can offer great quality in the final third through his spatial awareness, excellent movement, and great vision, providing either a precise final pass or a direct goalscoring threat in the opposition box. Moreover, he can also add a valuable outlet in the buildup phase, replacing either de Jong or Busquets, especially when playing with a 4-man midfield.
3. Experience
At 32 years of age, Gündoğan has a long career behind his back and a lot of valuable experience in his pocket. Taking into account that he has been playing under Pep Guardiola since moving to City from Borussia Dortmund in 2016, these 7 years under the Catalan master could ease the adaptation for him into Barcelona’s system, given the same philosophy shared by the club and its former legendary manager.
All in all, the acquisition of İlkay Gündoğan in the summer would be a no-brainer for Barcelona, given how much the German international would add to the Catalan midfield on a free transfer, and even at 32 years, he is believed to still have a couple of good years in his boots to help the Blaugrana achieve their goals.
