The summer acquisition of FC Barcelona, Ilkay Gundogan, has been one of the most significant sources of excitement for Cules, who wish to see the Catalans take it up a notch next season. The German midfielder arrives in high spirits, having achieved many accolades at Manchester City.
In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, which for now serves as the prologue before the full interview is released, Gundogan has given an insight into his thought process and his eagerness to get things running with Barcelona.
“I would say that a keyword to define my game is ‘adaptation.’ I believe I am a very flexible player; I can play in different positions, different roles. I have done it in the past, even at Manchester City, where I played as a central midfielder, a double pivot, a ’10’, and I even played as a ‘false nine’… honestly, I think I can play in various positions, and the coach values that in me. At the end of the day, the most important thing is for the team to be successful.”
With expectations mounting for the player, Gundogan is sure to serve a key role with his versatility, as Xavi is liberated to field him in a multitude of positions.
The former Manchester City captain was also asked about which player has surprised him the most since joining thus far, to which he replied: “I was already familiar with most of them, from watching them play and also from playing against them, whether in club or national team competitions.”
“There was one player I was eager to play with, and that’s Pedri. I believe he is a great talent, so young and yet so skilled, with so much potential… Of course, we play in similar positions and will probably have many matches close to each other on the field.”
“We will try to find each other often. It’s similar with Frenkie de Jong. As a midfielder, you appreciate having these types of players close to you on the field – players you can pass the ball to, combine with, and create plays together.”
Finally, the German maestro briefed the interviewer with his judgment of the comparisons being made between Xavi and Pep Guardiola.
“You can see that it’s the same school, that Pep had an influence on Xavi and his style of play. Of course, there’s also the Barça philosophy: possession, not losing the ball, trying to create, playing with intelligence, finding spaces… many of the things we do here are similar to what we did at City with Pep, and that gives me an advantage too. It makes it easier for me to adapt.”
Barcelona are set to begin their pre-season tour against Arsenal, and fans are keen to watch Gundogan in action alongside Pedri and Frenkie. The club, indeed now boasts an incredible midfield department.
