Ilkay Gundogan has become a crucial component in the Barcelona setup since joining the club in the summer.
The midfielder has become a leadership figure within the club and due to the team’s lack of depth in midfield, his presence has been even more crucial.
Gundogan on Manchester City exit
While a world-class star like Gundogan would always make things easier, the midfielder has admitted in a recent interview that the decision to leave Manchester City for Barcelona was far more difficult.
“Of course, it was not easy. I could not have found a better time than this exit after the best achievement in the club’s history (Manchester City), and I thought a few pages were missing in my book,” Gundogan told Sporx when asked about his decision to leave Man City.
Gundogan played for Man City for seven years, during which he featured in over 300 matches for the club. He was the captain of the team that secured the treble last season.
However, despite his success at Man City, Gundogan did not have any second thoughts when it came to joining Barcelona this summer.
“For me, the value of Barcelona has always been high. Barcelona are completely different. It was my dream. I always wanted to play for Barcelona one day. This summer was my chance and I wanted to make it happen,” he said.
Gundogan on Guardiola and Xavi
Having played for Man City for seven years, Gundogan quite clearly built a strong relationship with former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola.
“Recently, I visited Pep Guardiola at his home in Barcelona and we talked. He said that if I or my family needed anything in Barcelona, I could always contact him,” Gundogan revealed.
Talking about current Barça manager Xavi, Gundogan heaped praise on the Spaniard, highlighting that his relationship with the coach played a key role in his move to Catalonia.
“I have a good relationship with Xavi. I came to Barcelona for him and spoke to him twice before coming on the phone. I think we have great compatibility,” the German said.
“Pep has many years of experience while Xavi is in his fifth season as coach and third in Europe, but their view of football is very similar,” he added.
