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Ilkay Gündogan moves to FC Barcelona.

On Monday, Gündogan’s transfer from Manchester City to Barça became official. Pep Guardiola & Co. had tried in vain to persuade the captain to extend his contract.

Ilkay Gündogan moves to FC Barcelona. Arsenal was considered to be interested, and there was even speculation about a return to Borussia Dortmund. But when Ilkay Gündogan was thinking about his future, both clubs apparently played no role. “There was only one club in the world that made sense,” the German international writes in The Players’ Tribune. “It was Barcelona or nothing.”

On Monday, Gündogan’s transfer on a free transfer from Manchester City to Barça became official. In vain, Pep Guardiola & Co. had tried to persuade the captain to extend his contract. “Today is bittersweet,” said Gündogan. “Goodbyes are never easy, but with this team it’s even harder. When I had to break the news to the boys in our group chat that I was leaving, I was very emotional. “

“One of the most difficult calls I had to make was the one at Pep”

But “one of the most difficult calls I had to make was to Pep when I told him I was leaving. All I could do was say thank you. Not just for this season or for all the trophies, but for bringing me here in the first place,” says Gündogan, who had been Guardiola’s first transfer in 2016 – despite suffering a dislocated kneecap shortly before the European Championship.

By Julia