After leading Manchester City to a historic treble, Ilkay Gundogan signed for Barcelona in a sensational free transfer. The German midfielder has been acquired on a two-year contract, with an option to trigger a one-year extension. Meanwhile, Barcelona have also included a release clause of 400 million euros in his contract.
He was Pep Guardiola's first signing, when the Spaniard took over as City manager in 2016. Since then, he made over 300 appearances, scoring 60 goals and bagging 40 assists in all competitions. In his final season with City, Guardiola was also helped by the arrival of striker Erling Haaland, who was last season's top-scorer in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.
Also Read | EXCLUSIVE | 'Like Ronaldo in the world, that's what Chhangte is becoming in India': Igor Stimac
Due to his performances, the Norway international has been compared to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and is also expected to win atleast one Ballon d'Or. Even Gundogan made a similar comparison, while speaking to The Players' Tribune. "Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect when he came here. You see the goals and all the attention that he was getting at Dortmund, and you wonder if he’s going to fit with the group. But when I got to know him, I was so surprised how someone could be that talented and still have the will to be even better every single day. He’s never satisfied. I feel like there are no limits for him. Messi and Ronaldo are the only comparison for the level he could reach", he said.
Gundogan's arrival will be key for Barcelona's Xavi Hernandez, who lost captain Sergio Busquets. Busquets departed the club after the end of last season. Barcelona won the La Liga, but failed to get past the Champions League group stage and also crashed out of the Copa del Rey semi-finals.
{{/usCountry}}Gundogan's arrival will be key for Barcelona's Xavi Hernandez, who lost captain Sergio Busquets. Busquets departed the club after the end of last season. Barcelona won the La Liga, but failed to get past the Champions League group stage and also crashed out of the Copa del Rey semi-finals.
{{/usCountry}}After his City departure, Gundogan said in a statement, "For me it has been a total privilege and pleasure to be part of Manchester City for the last seven years. Manchester has been my home and I have felt part of a very special family at City."
"I have been lucky to have experienced so many unforgettable moments in my time here and to have been captain for this extra special season has been the greatest experience of my career", he further added.