Despite their economic woes, FC Barcelona brought several big names to their squad in the last summer transfer window. Players like Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix arrived on loan, but the biggest acquisition was Ilkay Gundogan, who arrived at the Catalans club after running down his contract at Manchester City.
With his quality and experience, the German midfielder was able to establish himself as one of the core players in Xavi’s team in no time. He was one of the most used players last season and remained an integral part of the team’s midfield.
However, he still had to face some moments of controversy. This was especially the case as the German criticized his teammates after losing important games against Real Madrid and Paris Saint Germain.
With Flick’s arrival, Gundogan is expected to retain his importance in the Blaugrana team. However, he did not feature in the league opener against Valencia as he was reportedly not fully fit for this game.
Meanwhile, a report from SPORT last night claimed that there were other factors at play behind Gundogan’s lack of participation in this match. The report mentioned that the German had asked Barcelona for an exit before the end of this transfer window.
The team’s new coach, Hansi Flick, addressed this subject as he appeared in front of the media after the match last night. As SPORT has reported, the German tactician revealed that he had talked to the player and felt that he was going to stay, but did not disclose the material of their conversation:
“As you know, he has had some issues and felt a bit dizzy. We agreed that he should stay at home, and I talked to him to see how he was feeling, but what we discussed stays between us. I have the feeling that he will stay.”
There is no doubt that Gundogan is one of the best players in this Barcelona squad, and his departure would leave a big hole in the midfield. Hopefully, he can remain in the squad for another season, and not only help the team get back to winning some trophies but also impart some of his footballing knowledge to all the youngsters present in the Catalan team.
