Gundogan arrived at Barcelona from Manchester City in 2023 with the hope of facing a new challenge. However, last season was complicated for the Catalan club, both in terms of sports and finances.

Gundogan’s decision to leave Barcelona was not an easy one. The player acknowledged that he was eager to continue contributing to the Catalan club’s project, but the team’s financial difficulties forced him to make a tough decision.

Gundogan unveils the true motivation behind his departure from FC Barcelona

Through a statement on social media, Gundogan said goodbye to Barcelona and stated that he is leaving in a difficult situation. Despite giving everything to the team, Gundogan decided that his departure could help Barcelona alleviate their financial situation, as he points out.

“Dear culers, after just one year it’s already time to say goodbye. I came here to face a new, exciting challenge, and I was ready for it. I have given everything to fight for the team and the club in the best possible way in a difficult season and I was looking forward to helping my teammates in the new campaign. Now I am leaving in a difficult situation, but if my departure can help the club financially, it makes me a bit less sad. Nevertheless, it’s been a time with incredible experiences and ups and downs – I always wanted to play at Barça, and I am very grateful for a memory and experience that I will remember for my life. I wish you the best for the season and for the future. The fans deserve to get this big club back to the world’s best”. Gundogan said.

The return to Manchester City

Despite the sadness of leaving Barcelona, Gündoğan expressed his joy at returning to Manchester City. The German midfielder spent seven years at the English team, where he won multiple titles and became a fundamental part of Pep Guardiola’s project.

Gundogan expressed through the social media “X” his joy at returning to Manchester City: “I am back … and I hope we can continue where we‘ve stopped in Summer 2023. Thanks to everyone who made this comeback possible. My seven years in Manchester have been an exceptional period in my life – to have the opportunity to return here means so much. Come on City!

“If he fouled him, I guess it’s a red card. I haven’t seen the replay. It’s difficult to say, in these crucial moments, you need to be sure to get the ball. If you don’t get it, and I don’t know if he did, you have to stay away. I prefer to concede a goal there or to leave the striker one on one, even though he played the ball quite far ahead, so I don’t know if he would reach the ball,” Gundogan told CBS. “But let the goalkeeper have a chance to save us or even concede a goal. To get a red card, to go a player down so early, it just kills the game.”

Araujo was sent off after 29′ for taking down Bradley Barcola on a potential one-on-one situation. Barcelona were leading 1-0 at home (4-2 on aggregate), but the red card proved costly, with Paris Saint-Germain eventually turning things around.

Speaking at a charity event in Barcelona on Thursday, the Uruguayan defender reacted to his teammate’s public criticism. While Araujo didn’t call out Gundogan, he did take a subtle shot at the German for not keeping things private: “I prefer to keep to myself what I think about Gündogan’s comments. I have certain values and they have to be respected.”

Barça atmosphere not great after Gundogan’s public criticism of Araujo

Gundogan’s comments created quite a situation in the Barcelona dressing room, with the likes of Sergi Roberto and Jules Kounde showing support for Araujo after the Champions League elimination.

“Now more united than ever, here we win and lose together!”, the Spanish full-back wrote in an Instagram post, while the Frenchman said: “By the way, we win as a team and we also lose as a team.”

On top of that, Gundogan’s wife also had something to say about this. In an Instagram story she later deleted, Sara Arfaoui defended her husband posting a picture of him lifting the Champions League trophy with Manchester City.

In that same post, she wrote: “This man is a working hard man and his football opinions is about improving and he is giving everything to this team. His mentality is a treble mentality.”

Gundogan already called out Barça teammates before

Gundogan had already made headlines for throwing his teammates under the bus in October 2023. Following Barcelona’s 1-2 loss to Real Madrid in El Clasico last year, the German midfielder said:

“I don’t want to say something wrong, to be honest, but I was now in the dressing room, and of course people are disappointed, but especially after such a big game and such a result, I wish (for) more frustration, more anger and more disappointment. This is a little bit the problem. I don’t know, there has to be more emotion, especially when you lose and you know you can perform better in certain situations, and you just don’t react and it transfers to the pitch.”

Barcelona’s next game after the Champions League exit will be against Real Madrid on Sunday, so it will be interesting to see how Gundogan, Araujo and company respond.

Xavi Hernandez’s men are still alive in the title race, but since they trail leaders Madrid by eight points, Sunday’s Clasico is a must-win for the Cules if they want to challenge for the trophy until the end.

However, the first big game for Gündogan was bittersweet as he scored his first goal in El Clasico against Real Madrid, but suffered a crushing 2-1 loss. Xavi’s team seemed to have everything under control after 60 minutes before Jude Bellingham emerged with two goals.

After the game, Ilkay Gundogan spoke about the game and, when a reporter asked him if this defeat would help the club going forward, the answer was very surprising.

“I have to be honest. Not as much as I wish because I don’t wanna say something wrong to be honest, but, I was in the dressing room and, of course, people are disappointed. But, especially after such a game, such a big game and such a result, I wish there was more frustration and anger. More disappointment.”

Ilkay Gundogan explodes against his teammates at Barcelona

Ilkay Gundogan tried to be very careful with his words as he didn’t want to produce any hard feelings. However, the message was clear. He didn’t expect to see those reactions in a big club like Barcelona.

“This is a little bit of a problem. I don’t know. There has to be more emotions especially when you lose, when you know you can perform better. When you can do better in single and certain situations and you just don’t react. We need to make a huge step that on that otherwise Real Madrid or even Girona is going to run away.”

The German player assumed his amount of blame, but also sent a huge warning to the locker room considering he just won it all at Manchester City in the 2022-2023 season.

“I didn’t come here to lose this type of games or to let the gap create. There’s also a responsibility for myself. From a more experienced player to not allow the squad just let things happen. No. We need resistance.”

Xavi believes Barcelona deserved more in El Clasico

Meanwhile, Barcelona’s coach, Xavi Hernandez, said that his team deserved a lot more against Real Madrid in El Clasico. However, he admitted this is the way to have success in the near future.

“The loss is unfair. I’m frustrated and angry. We scored a goal in the first 60 minutes of control, and they scored two in the last twenty. Up until the 60th minute, we were doing well, but it could be that due to fatigue, we didn’t execute the high pressure effectively. Real Madrid are a strong team with its own strengths.”

After seven unforgettable years at Manchester City, Ilkay Gundogan is ready to move on. The Germany international is joining Barcelona, where Xavi Hernandez has big plans for him.

Even at 32, Gundogan comes from a fantastic season in England. He was a key contributor in the Sky Blues’ treble, which is why many teams wanted to sign him before he chose Barca.

Arsenal and Saudi Arabian clubs were reportedly interested in the midfielder, but Barcelona managed to win the race. Of course, the Spanish club had to offer him a lucrative contract.

Ilkay Gundogan’s contract at Barcelona

According to transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano, Ilkay Gundogan signed a two-year deal with an option for a further year with FC Barcelona. In addition, he reportedly has a €400 million release clause.

How much does Ilkay Gundogan make a week?

Spanish outlet Culemanía of El Español claims Ilkay Gundogan’s annual salary is €9 million after taxes. That would be nearly €750,000 a month; €187,500 a week; €26,785 a day; €1,116 an hour; €18.60 a minute; or €0.31 a second.

Additionally, they are just the second English team in history to win three consecutive titles. The Etihad Stadium outfit have earned a reputation for developing a superb team under Pep Guardiola‘s direction.

But even with such a fantastic roster, the Spaniard apparently insists that they can become even better. So, the Citizens are closing in on their first summer acquisition.

Report: Manchester City agree personal terms with Josko Gvardiol of Lepzig

The ever-reliable Fabrizio Romano reports that Manchester City and Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol have reached a personal agreement. In the following days, the two teams are expected to begin negotiations.

However, the German side is hopeful of keeping the brilliant player, and as per the Italian journalist, they aren’t interested in selling him for less than €100 million. Additionally, it’s believed that Lepzig want the 21-year-old to be the most expensive central defender in history after receiving great praise from Pep Guardiola.

Even the Blaugrana boss Xavi Hernandez had made it clear that he wants to bring in a “top” player to fill the vacancy left by his departing captain. That’s the La Liga champions’ main goal, even though they are having trouble complying with Financial Fair Play regulations and are fast losing their main targets.

The Catalan heavyweights will have difficulty registering new players until they complete certain departures. Nevertheless, it appears that they have already finalized the agreement for their initial summer acquisition, having diligently paved the way for this deal over the course of several months.

Report: Barcelona agree deal to sign Ilkay Gundogan as free agent after leaving Manchester City

Breaking news from Fabrizio Romano indicates that Barcelona have successfully secured the services of Ilkay Gundogan, the captain of Manchester City. The 32-year-old midfielder has reportedly put pen to paper and signed a contract with the Blaugrana, marking his move as a free transfer.

The German international reportedly signed his contract with the Spanish side on Wednesday in Munich, where Barca director Mateu Alemany flew in to finalize the pact. He reportedly signs a two-year contract until 2025 with a one-year extension option. The option to renew his contract will be granted if he appears in more than half of the club’s games during his second season.

In addition to passing his medicals in Germany, midfielder Gundogan’s deal is said to have a €500 million release clause. More information on the deal is provided by RAC1, which claims that the treble winner with City has accepted an annual salary of roughly €9 million, which is a significant wage drop from what he earned at the Etihad Stadium.

The former midfielder shone under the current Man City boss, from whom he inspired to build his own managerial career. Xavi is just getting started, but Pep’s influence can already be seen.

Not only is he following in his mentor’s footsteps by trying to get Barça back on their feet, but Xavi’s style of play is also aligned with Guardiola’s principles. On top of that, he reportedly wants to lure one of Guardiola’s best players at City.

Report: Xavi wants to bring Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona

According to Sport, Xavi Hernandez is keen on adding Ilkay Gundogan to his Barcelona squad. The 32-year-old is out of contract this summer, and after winning the Champions League, many expect him to leave Manchester.

Gundogan has been at the Etihad since 2016, which is why this could be the best moment to say goodbye. Besides, Barça reportedly offer him a three-year deal, which speaks volumes about their interest in the midfielder despite his age.

The Germany international, however, would not be lacking in suitors this summer. Not only do City want him back for at least another year, but Arsenal and Saudi clubs are also said to be interested.

This season, both clubs have already won a title. Manchester United hoisted their first trophy in almost six years at the Carabao Cup. On the other side, Manchester City erased an eight-point deficit with Arsenal to claim their third consecutive Premier League.

Now, in an incredible turn of events, Ilkay Gundogan achieved an extraordinary milestone. Only a few moments after the start of the game, he scored a tremendous goal for Manchester City. Of course, the big question is if he broke a record in the FA Cup.

What is the fastest goal scored in FA Cup final history?

The tournament has 152 years of history and what happened this Saturday has never been seen. Ilkay Gundogan scored the fastest goal ever in a FA Cup final with the official time set at 13 seconds.

Stefan Ortega kicked a long ball from his territory, Erling Haaland sent it forward with a header and, after Kevin De Bruyne disputed it outside the box, Ilkay Gundogan delivered an incredible shot.

During the last weeks, Gundogan has been sensational for Manchester City after many rumors pointed out he had everything settled to play for Barcelona next season. Though his contract will expire in a few days, the Citizens will make a final push to retain him.

It hasn’t been easy for FC Barcelona considering the financial problems left by the administrationof Josep Maria Bartomeu. However, Xavi and president Joan Laporta have chosen players of immediate impact. Robert Lewandowski, Jules Koundé or Andreas Christensen are some examples of that strategy.

Now, in what would be a major move, FC Barcelona seem to have secured one of the biggest stars from Manchester City. Read there to find out who’s the player Pep Guardiola could lose.

FC Barcelona will sign a star from Manchester City

According to a report from Jose Alvarez of El Chiringuito in Spain, Ilkay Gundogan is the player ready to sign for FC Barcelona. The 32-year old was crucial for Manchester City to win four Premier Leagues, one FA Cup, four EFL Cups and two Community Shields.

“My sources tell me that the player who is a done deal for FC Barcelona on a free transfer in Juneis Ilkay Gundogan. He has personal reasons. He is gonna be a father in the next months and he believes that his timeat Manchester City has ended. It’s practically a done deal with FC Barcelona. Ilkay Gundogan will be new player of FC Barcelona in June of 2023.”

However, that doesn’t prevent some players from employingeffective but unconventional tactics behind the scenes – or at least when the referee isn’t looking. If not, just ask Ilkay Gundogan, who revealed what Yerry Mina does to his opponents during games.

The Manchester City star has recently told German outlet Bild that the Colombian defender pinches the opponents’ backs and smiles at them, all of this usually going unnoticed by the officials.However, Gundogan made clear that Mina doesn’t play dirty and those actions are just part of his game.

Ilkay Gundogan reveals Yerry Mina’s secret tactics

“I also remember Yerry Mina from Everton,” Gundogan told Bild, as quoted by Goal. “A tough Colombian centre-back. He’ll use his hands in a tackle, scratch or pinch your back when the referee isn’t looking. I’ve seen him do that once or twice.

“But not so much in a dirty way. He even smiles in your face in a friendly way, which makes him sympathetic in a funny way. I didn’t know how to pinch the back before,” Gundogan added.

Yerry Mina is currently on the sidelines with thigh problems while the Toffees are battling to stay away from relegation. Last year, he suffered another opponent’s controversial tactics when Emiliano Martinez trashed talked him in a penalty shootout between Colombia and Argentina in the Copa America semifinals.