The arrival of Ilkay Gundogan at Barcelona this summer has been one of the club’s most anticipated moves. The three-time Premier League champion and former captain of Manchester City went to Catalonia on a free transfer earlier this summer, and today the club announced that he will be playing for the Blaugrana going forward.
On Tuesday, Gundogan will begin preseason training alongside Xavi Hernandez. He will also accompany the club as it travels to the United States to compete in the friendly there.
A private signing of his contract as a player for FC Barcelona took place at the headquarters of Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper to kick off the activities that took place on Monday. The 32-year-old player then gave a speech on the pitch, beginning with a recounting of his first connections to the club in the capacity of a supporter.
“Well, I have to say that my initial thoughts are really favorable. The fact that I am now a member of this club has both thrilled and humbled me. When I was a kid, I remember watching every game that Barcelona played, whether it was during the week or on the weekend. From Rijkaard, Pep of course.”
The seasoned player continued by talking about how many of his heroes had played for the Catalan institution, and how much of an honor it was for him to be able to wear the garnet-and-blue stripes.
“I looked up to a lot of players on this team who are now considered to be legends. As a result, I am filled with immense pride to be standing in front of each and every one of you in this incredible club.
After that, Gundogan expressed his gratitude in a formal manner to Joan Laporta, Mateu Alemany, and Jordi Cruyff for their tireless efforts in facilitating the signing, stating,
“I would want to extend my gratitude to you, Mr. President, as well as the rest of the board, Mateu Alemany, and Jordi Cruyff, all of whom contributed to my presence here. It is a pleasure and a source of great pride for me to be here, and I can’t wait for the first game to start. It is an awesome feeling to be here. I would like to win, and I would like to continue winning here.
His on-field comments came to a close with a brief reference of the caliber of Barcelona’s roster and the potential for the club to develop into a formidable opponent in the years to come.
“I believe that this squad has a lot of untapped potential, as we had a very successful season the year before, and I am going to do everything in my power to contribute to the success of the team. The subsequent several years will in all likelihood be better and more memorable.Visca El Barca.”
During the news conference that immediately followed, Gundogan expressed his continued gratitude to the president and sporting director, in addition to Xavi and other individuals, for their roles in making the transfer possible.
“I’d like to express my gratitude to the president and everyone else on staff for making this happen. In particular, Xavi; after having a conversation with him, I had no doubt that he was heading in the correct direction. It’s a chance for me to demonstrate who I am, on a new team, in a new nation, in a new location, and despite the fact that I’m getting older, I still have a lot to demonstrate.
The German also remarked on how his experience will mesh well with the young core of the Catalans, saying: “In these years I have been able to gain a lot of experience, and with this very young team combined with experience, we can do great things.” [Case in point:] “In these years I have been able to gain a lot of experience.”
The midfielder stated his intention to quit Manchester City for only one other club in his farewell letter to the club, and that team was Barcelona. He showed the coherence of his thinking towards the matter by saying:
“Being a member of this club and having the opportunity to compete for it makes me feel a great deal of pride. The thought of putting on this shirt was like a dream; on a few times, I was able to get a little bit closer, but it just wasn’t the right time. I am very grateful that the opportunity presented itself today, and I am ecstatic to be able to play for Barcelona.
Regarding Robert Lewandowski, with whom he has previously spent a number of years sharing the same dressing room, he stated:
Before the holidays, I had a conversation with him. He informed me about the club, the way of life, the city, and what it is like to be a member of the Barcelona organization. His words were quite compelling. Ter Stegen was the other person who wrote to me. Their comments did not have a significant impact on my decision, but they were helpful because I had already made up my mind.
When questioned about the process of adjustment he would have to go through at his new club, the captain of the team that won the UEFA Champions League emphasized his conviction that he would emerge victorious.
“I believe that I possess the ability to adjust. We want to have more potential in the Champions League, and I think we can have the confidence to do it. Although the squad has already won La Liga, we want to win it again. Being a player for Barcelona comes with a significant amount of responsibility, but I have faith that we are up to the challenge.
The midfielder’s choice to leave the Premier League champion Manchester City was not an easy one to make. He discussed how Xavi had a role in his choice to depart, as well as how Xavi persuaded him of the Blaugrana vision.
“To begin, he presented his thoughts in a very understandable manner. It bears a striking resemblance to the work I’ve done with Manchester City. His forthright manner and demeanor inspired me to think more about him and his playing style. We hit it off right away and have had a strong friendship ever since.”
Pep Guardiola was asked for his reaction to the news that he would be joining Barcelona, and he responded by saying, “For me, it was important that he was the first to know.” I thanked him in a way that I believe made him happy, and I promised that if I needed advise on anything pertaining to the club or the city, I would seek it from him.
The following question that was posed to him was concerning the prospect of Kylian Mbappe signing with Real Madrid and whether or not such a move would make the competition between the two giants more exciting. Gundogan responded with a humble statement, adding,
“It makes no difference who plays in Madrid; we want to beat Madrid with or without Mbappe, and we have to win by focusing on ourselves rather than the competition.”
In recent days, Bernardo Silva has been strongly connected with a move to Barcelona, and it should come as no surprise that Gundogan was questioned about the possibility of him doing the same.
On his former colleague, he commented, “He is an incredible player, I think he has many qualities to be a high-level player but he has a contract with City, so I can say little.” “He is an incredible player,” he said. “I think he has many qualities to be a high-level player.”
The German will be joining a team that has some of the most promising young athletes from around the world. During his press conference, he admitted that the same thing was true and discussed what he could provide to the team.
“Gavi, Pedri, and de Jong are really outstanding. My life and my profession have not been a bed of roses, and I have the experience to prove it. I believe that the expertise I’ve gained over the past few years can be beneficial, both offensively and defensively. These young folks have a great deal more talent than I have, and their accomplishments much surpass mine. If I can give you one percent, I’ll consider it a success.
After that, he made some comments about his potential to play a variety of positions, as well as the likelihood that he may sub in for Sergio Busquets.
“I am ready, and I think that over the past few years I have demonstrated that I am able to demonstrate that I am able to play in different roles, and I think that I will be able to help wherever they need me to.”
The seasoned player was then confronted with a hard question regarding what Barcelona was missing in the UCL competition. He provided an appropriate response, citing all of his years of experience, and saying,
“Well, there’s no denying that the Champions League is an extremely challenging and cutthroat competition. It is quite challenging, and I speak from personal experience when I say this because for many years our company was highly regarded by the city. The devil is in the details, especially the little ones. As a result of the fact that I have already won the Champions League, I am confident in my ability to make a contribution toward achieving this goal.
When the 32-year-old player was asked if Xavi had talked to him about a certain position that he would have to cover at Barcelona, he responded, “No.”
“Xavi appreciates the fact that I can play a variety of positions. He has not provided me with any information regarding a certain position, but I believe that I am able to integrate with the various players and play in a variety of positions.
Gundogan then continued on to discuss the players from Barcelona who have served as his inspirations throughout the years, including athletes from a range of generations on his list.
“I remember Ronaldinho, despite the fact that we are completely different from one another. I also admire Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets. My favorite player of this type is Busquets, who is very reserved. I believe that my playing style is rather comparable to that of other players. I want the team to be successful, and that includes you, even if you are in the background at times.
In the end, he clarified that his decision to quit Manchester City was a personal one and that it had nothing to do with Pep Guardiola or the administration of the English team. Instead, he stated that he wanted to challenge himself and take on new opportunities.
“Pep did not have nearly as much as other people did. I’ve had a good relationship with him for the past seven years, but I enjoy taking on new tasks and trying to outdo myself. My interest in signing with the club has significantly increased, and that is the only thing that the coach and the club have done to persuade me.
Gundogan was welcomed to Barcelona by Laporta and Alemany.
Joan Laporta, the club’s president, sent a warm welcome to Gundogan and expanded on the drawn-out drama behind his transfer.
“Ilkay, we are happy to have you here in Barcelona. A player with a lot of experience and success who will be of great assistance to us. Everyone, including the club’s members, the staff, and the supporters, is looking forward to your arrival with bated breath. I am aware that you went to a great deal of trouble to sign, and for that, we are quite grateful.
“Ilkay, I am aware that you selected Barca over other companies that had more lucrative offers due to our heritage and our style. Because of your time spent at Manchester City, you have a deeper understanding of our playing style than the majority of players. We appreciate your going with our company. I have no doubt that with your assistance, we will achieve our goals.”
The president then went on to appreciate the contribution that was made by a variety of forces to guarantee that the German’s move was successful. He said,
You were the first player to ask us about this, and he is a player who has spoken on Xavi’s behalf. I would like to extend my congratulations to Mateu Alemany and everyone on his team. The signing has been going on in the background for some time. Jordi Cruyff and Deco have both had their share of achievements to be proud of. As well as Rafa Yuste.
After that, he went on to talk about how strong the team is now that Gundogan has joined it, and he expressed his hope that the team will go on to win the UEFA Champions League and other championships in the future.
“The tune that you and Xavi have is also one that I enjoy. Everyone on the team is quite ecstatic right now because we can clearly see how the team is improving over time. Now, though, we want even more, and that is the opportunity to compete in the Champions League.
We have a really strong presence in the middle of the field. You bring a lot of experience to the table, and everyone in the kitchen is really eager about working with you. We are about to embark on a trip, during which you will have the chance to integrate yourself into the workings of the first team.
The next person to take the stage was Mateu Alemany, who discussed how the possibility of acquiring Gundogan had been under consideration for a considerable amount of time.
The first time we discussed Gundogan was on the day Christensen signed his contract. On that day, we were discussing how Ilkay ought to be the subsequent one. We wish to express our gratitude for your decision to work with us rather than accept one of the many other economic offers that were far more attractive.