Ilkay Gundogan became the first major signing of this summer for FC Barcelona, arriving on a free transfer after his contract with Manchester City had run down.
The 32-year-old joined the La Liga champions after leading his previous club to a historic treble – Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and the FA Cup in the 2022/23 campaign, playing a huge part in the success.
Having spent seven years with the Cityzens and winning every possible trophy with the club, Gundogan arrives at Barcelona with the same hunger and desire to succeed and get his hands on silverware at his new club.
“I’m here to win, to win the league, the cup and the Champions League. I had a great season with City, but I want to keep winning again and again. So I came to enjoy the football here, but also to win. Above all to win,” he said in an interview today.
Talking about his decision to sign for Barcelona when he could have continued at Manchester City or joined any other club, Gundogan said:
“First of all because it is Barça. You can’t say no to Barça. Ever since I was a little boy I have dreamed of playing for this team and defending this crest. And it’s a great honour to be here.
“Besides, I saw the potential of the squad, what has been created since last season, what the coach started and I see that it can only get better, better and better. I am very motivated and I have come here to prove to myself that I am still worth despite being 32 years old.”
On adapting to a new team in an entirely new league, Gundogan said: “It is a new league and the challenge is not going to be easy, but I like difficult challenges. They make me a better version of myself. So I’m ready to challenge myself and give everything in this new stage.”
Barça have performed quite poorly in the UEFA Champions League in recent years but Gundogan is confident that this team has what it takes to go all the way in the tournament.
“Yes, yes I do, the quality is here, but you need not only quality, you need mentality, consistency and sometimes a bit of luck at the right moments. And I think we have to have the responsibility to go far and try to play the best we can,” he said.
“Not only in the Champions League, but also in La Liga so we can win it again.”
When asked to describe himself as a player, Gundogan went on to call himself as ‘versatile’, highlighting his ability to play in a multitude of positions.
“I would say that a key word to define my game is ‘adaptation’. I think I am a very versatile player, I can play different positions, different roles, I have done that in the past, also at Manchester City, where I played as a midfielder, as a double pivot, as a ’10’, I even played as a ‘false nine’,” Gundogan said.
“Honestly, I think I can play in several positions and the coach appreciates that about me. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that the team succeeds.”
On being asked to name the Barcelona players who have surprised him the most, Gundogan said Pedri is one footballer who he is keen to play with while also name-checking newly-appointed fourth captain Frenkie de Jong.
“There is one player I am really looking forward to playing with and that is Pedri. I think he’s a great talent, he’s so young and at the same time so good, he has so much potential. Of course, we play in similar positions and we will probably play a lot of games close to each other. We will try to find each other a lot,” he said.
“Something similar with Frenkie de Jong. As a midfielder, you appreciate that these kind of players are close to you on the pitch, players to pass the ball to, to combine and create actions and combine with.”
Finally, on being asked about the similarities between Pep Guardiola and Xavi, Gundogan replied:
“You can see that it’s the same style, that Pep had an influence on Xavi and his game. Of course, also the Barça way: possession, not losing the ball, trying to create, playing intelligently, finding space…
“Many of the things we do here are similar to what we did at City with Pep and that also gives me an advantage, it’s easier to adapt.”
