Manchester City recruited an ex-Barcelona coach to become the world’s best club. Now Barcelona have lured a Man City player to try and knock the Premier League side off their treble perch.
In seven seasons, Pep Guardiola has built a Man City team that plays some of the most attractive football on the planet, evoking memories of his Barcelona teams that won multiple Champions League titles. Guardiola’s 2022/23 Man City masterpiece matched his Barcelona 2008/09 side with a European treble.
Now, in a quest to get back to their glory days, Guardiola’s former club is hoping one of his most important pieces can help them get there. Barcelona have landed City captain Ilkay Gundogan, who only a few weeks earlier was hoisting his first UEFA Champions League title to go along with a pair of major domestic trophies.
Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez, who was himself a Gundogan-like presence in the midfield of Guardiola’s best Barca sides, is slowly assembling a juggernaut after financial struggles left the Blaugrana debilitated in recent seasons. The 2022/23 Spanish title was the first step in that rebuild with Europe — specifically, the Champions League — the next frontier in the 2023/24 season. Gundogan will play an important part in that quest.
While City fans will be disappointed to see one of their heroes depart, the writing was on the wall, and his exit was never that far-fetched. The Sporting News explains why Gundogan will be wearing a new shirt in 2023/24.
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Gündoğan has a message for you, culers 🤳 pic.twitter.com/yoajjeqbMU
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) June 26, 2023
Gundogan available on a free transfer
It’s the scenario that star players dream of: an expiring contract at the height of their professional achievements, following the most successful season of their career.
That’s exactly the situation that Gundogan found himself in after he hoisted the treble-clinching Champions League trophy high toward the Istanbul sky to bring an end to his Man City obligations.
Gundogan’s contract expires on June 30, 2023, but he was free to negotiate with other clubs for the previous six months, as the rules allow. Given his Man City deal is running out, his suitors knew they didn't have to pay a dime to his former club to acquire his services.
And that also means those same suitors can offer the player — and his agents — more money.
MORE: Why 2022/23 was the greatest Man City team of all-time
“I will always be City. Nothing can break that bond.”@IlkayGuendogan says thank you to @ManCity. https://t.co/b2NifcdPN1
— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) June 26, 2023
Gundogan salary at Barcelona
Per financial aggregator Capology, German international was making an average annual salary of €8.5 million at Man City, and earlier in the season reports stated that the club offered him a one-year extension of the deal.
Barcelona came in and offered Gundogan, who turns 33 in October, a two-year deal with an option for a third. If he sees out the life of that contract, he would be reaching the age of 36, making more money than he did during his treble-winning season at City.
Despite reports in Spain indicating that Gundogan took a pay cut to play for Barcelona, his gross salary is being reported at €9 million (roughly $10 million), which instead provides a slight bump on his most recent Man City financials.
Reports also indicate that even if Barcelona run afoul of Spanish league salary rules and are prevented from registering him, he will be able to depart on a free transfer, something not always guaranteed in the past through Barcelona's financial struggles.
That makes it a dream deal for Gundogan: reaching his mid-30s, while earning his largest career salary at one of Europe’s top clubs. And who's to say that a €35m offer reportedly tabled by a Saudi Arabian club wouldn't be on the table at age 36 depending on whether the cash-rich Saudi Pro League continues its spending spree.
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Gundogan new European adventure
In modern football, seven full seasons is an eternity for any player to remain with any one club, especially at a European power where money is rarely an obstacle to securing the next global sensation or shiny prospect.
If there was ever a time for a change of scenery, the summer of 2023 was the opportune moment for Gundogan, especially after achieving the holy grail with Man City and finally writing his name in European football history.
That treble triumph finished off Gundogan's trophy cabinet, having won every important trophy with Man City in England and Europe, while earning a place in the hearts of City supporters. Even as he heads out the door, those same fans can only be thankful for their captain’s contributions in a sky blue jersey, with his most productive games often coming in big moments.
Gundogan gets to close his Man City chapter on a high and he gets a fresh start at a giant club for what is likely to be his last multi-year European contract. This was the most opportune moment to make a move.
And the team he’s about to join is arguably the ideal fit after seven years with Pep.
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Gundogan the perfect fit at Barcelona
It’s hard not to look at Gundogan and see shades of Andres Iniesta or Xavi Hernandez from the Barcelona team that won two Champions League titles.
The exquisite skill, the calm on the ball, the feel for the game, the precision passing, the decision-making, the awareness to occupy the right spaces, and even scoring an occasional goal.
Gundogan is a Barcelona player and he had seven years of preparation for the role under Guardiola. He should be plug-and-play at Barcelona with the younger Pedri, Gavi, and Frenkie De Jong doing the running around him.
If Gundogan can achieve success with Barcelona after doing so in Germany and England, he has a chance to cement his status as one of the great midfielders of his generation. Injuries have prevented him from achieving international accolades with Germany, but there is still time for that.
Premier League 2023/24 TV channels, live streams
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| Australia | — | Optus Sport |
| Canada | — | |
| Hong Kong | — | Now TV |
| India | Star Sports | Disney+, Hotstar, JioTV |
| Malaysia | Astro SuperSport | Astro Go |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport | Sky Sport Now, Sky Go |
| Singapore | StarHub | StarHub TV+ |
| UK | Sky Sports, TNT Sports | NOW TV, Sky Go, Amazon Prime |
| USA | USA Network, Telemundo, Universo |
Fubo, Peacock |
UK: Matches are carried across Sky Sports and TNT Sports streaming and TV platforms, with select matches on Amazon Prime.
USA: Select matches are televised on USA Network (English) and Telemundo or Universo (Spanish), and all three channels can be streamed on Fubo. The rest of the matches are streamed on NBC platform Peacock for subscribers.
Canada: Every Premier League game this season is live streamed exclusively via Fubo in Canada.
Australia: Fans in Australia can stream every match live and on demand on Optus Sport.
India: Star Sports network has the rights to show Premier League matches in India. As well as an English broadcast on Star Sports Select, select matches will be available via regional feeds on Star Sports 3 (in Bengali, English, Kannada, Malayalam), Star Sports 1 (Bangla) and Star Sports 1 (Tamil).
