In the very heart of the ongoing summer transfer window, FC Barcelona have been trying to wrap up their various operations with a sense of urgency this time around. Long gone are the days when the Catalan club possessed the outrageous ability to bid and offer contracts beyond what most other top European clubs could dream of.
Now, it is the pedigree of the club and their sporting project that has become the primary sales pitch to any new arrivals. With said urgency, Barcelona have managed to wrap up the signing of one of the continent’s most in-form and elite footballers.
The Catalan club has just recently officially unveiled Ilkay Gundogan of Manchester City as their first main team signing of the window. The 32-year-old brings with him his vast experience and world-class footballing ability to match it.
Yet, as SPORT has highlighted in one of their recent reports, there could be a potential conflict between the 32-year-old German International and one of Barcelona’s most prized possessions already within their ranks in the shape of a particular 20-year-old prodigy.
The report highlights how Ilkay Gundogan has mainly worn the number 8 shirt as his primary choice of shirt numbers, and has done so both at Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund prior to that.
At Barcelona however, the legendary number is already preoccupied by young star Pedri. The youngster took over the number previously adorned by Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta in July of 2022, last year.
While it should not exactly be much of an issue as the German does use the number 21 with the National Team, but seeing as even that is already occupied by Frenkie De Jong, the 32-year-old will have to make his pick from the remaining available shirt numbers, that include the likes of 5,12,14,16 and 18 as likely options.
