FC Barcelona may be the reigning LaLiga Santander champions, but the Catalan club aren’t resting on their laurels at all. Keen to strengthen the title-winning squad, Barça have started off the summer transfer market by signing one of the very best midfielders in the world: Germany international İlkay Gündoğan.
Gündoğan arrives in LaLiga from European champions Manchester City and does so after the best season of his career, in which he captained Pep Guardiola’s side to a historic treble of the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup. As well as being the captain of that team, Gündoğan was one of the Cityzens‘ best performers over the final month of the season, even scoring a superb brace in the 2023 FA Cup final.
Aged 32, Gündoğan is playing some of the best football of his career and joins FC Barcelona ready to contribute immediately. Although he plays in a more advanced position than that of the departed Sergio Busquets, the man from Gelsenkirchen will be able to replace the Catalan midfielder’s experience and help 20-year-old Pedri and 18-year-old Gavi, two of the best young midfielders in the world, to continue their evolution. Frenkie de Jong, who just celebrated his 26th birthday, will also look to soak up all of Gündoğan’s expertise like a sponge.
For Xavi Hernández, having all these midfield talents together is a tantalizing prospect. The coach will also be licking his lips at the goalscoring prowess Gündoğan can add to FC Barcelona’s midfield. The Blaugrana midfielders only combined for 11 goals in the 2022/23 LaLiga Santander season, but the German scored eight Premier League goals of his own last term. There is no doubt that this is an exciting signing for FC Barcelona fans and here come five facts they might not know about the new arrival.
He bounced back from childhood heartbreak
Although Gündoğan became a world-class player at Borussia Dortmund, he actually grew up supporting their rivals Schalke 04, like most kids from Gelsenkirchen. When he entered the Schalke 04 academy aged eight, he was delighted, but an ankle issue saw him let go after one season. As he recalled in The Players’ Tribune: “I was eight years old when I discovered how brutal this business can be. It hit me hard. Much later on, I would come to understand it. But at that time it felt as if my dream was over and my career was finished.” His career was far from finished, as Gündoğan went on to play at Bochum, Nürnberg, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and, now, FC Barcelona.
His cousin is a successful volleyball player
Gündoğan isn’t the only professional athlete in his family. His cousin, Naz Aydemir, is one of the best setters in European women’s volleyball and has won multiple medals with the Turkish national team. Gündoğan often travels with his family, who are of Turkish descent, to see her play in international competitions.
Gündoğan and Lewandowski played together a decade ago
This transfer reunites Gündoğan with Robert Lewandowski, as the midfielder and the striker played 77 matches together at Borussia Dortmund from 2011 to 2013, winning the 2011/12 Bundesliga together, in addition to the 2011/12 DFB-Pokal and 2013 DFL-Supercup. At the Westfalenstadion, they developed excellent chemistry as Lewandowski led the line and as Gündoğan played behind the Pole in midfield. Now, they’ll look to replicate that partnership in LaLiga.
He is a scorer of great goals
Gündoğan is a complete midfielder, one who can defend, one who can dribble, one who can pass and one who can score. Not only does he score a lot, netting at least 10 goals in each of the past three seasons, but he is also a scorer of great goals. In fact, Gündoğan’s technically exquisite volley 13 seconds in to the 2023 FA Cup final against Manchester United was named as Manchester City’s goal of the season.
Xavi was his idol as he started his career
This transfer will be especially exciting for Gündoğan because his new coach is Xavi Hernández, a player he idolised as he started his own career. As the Germany international explained in a 2017 interview with Spanish newspaper MARCA: “I adored Xavi, as he was always my role model and I looked up to him. He was a master. I really enjoyed his role in that great Barça team.” Now, Gündoğan will look to lead another stellar Blaugrana midfield.
