Xavi finds a winner in Ilkay Gündogan



FC Barcelona has announced that Manchester City Treble Winning Captain Ilkay Gündogan will be joining the club on a free transfer, for two seasons with an option to extend for another year. The extension will only happen if Gündogan plays 60% or more matches for the Blaugranas in his second season, as reported by Toni Juanmartí.


Gündogan in an interview spoke, “ I was clear, if I changed teams, there was only one club that I wanted. It was Barça or nothing.” He also mentioned that talking to Xavi about the project, it always felt natural. He stated that “ We see football in a similar way”. Since Gündogan is now officially a ćuler, let us take a look into how Xavi can use Gündogan and where he will fit into the team.


Gündogan as a No.8


Gundogan’s best position is number eight. He can play the role with Pedri or Gavi as the other number eight. His passing range and vision are exceptional. Gundogan’s technical abilities and composure on the ball are second to none. His ability to maintain possession and control the tempo of the game could give the Blaugranas the upper hand in crucial matches. At City we saw how well he combined with Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri, so there should be no doubts about him doing well in this role.  



Gündogan as a Pivot


If Barcelona is unable to replace Busquets, which is very unlikely Gündogan can effortlessly play the role of Defensive Midfielder. He holds the position very well and has already played the role at Borussia Dortmund under Jürgen Klopp. He also can play accurate long balls and decisive diagonal balls to wingers to unlock defenses. He also played the role for Manchester City initially with the master himself coaching Gündogan. Though unlikely, if Xavi decides to play with a double pivot he can be one of the pivots with another being Frankie De Jong.We expect Busquet's replacement to be signed and therefore see less of Gündogan playing in this position.




Gündogan as a No.10


Another position at which Xavi could use Gündogan is as a number ten. Ilkay Gundogan's former coach Michael Oenning speaking to GOAL in an interview said, “For me Ilkay is and was a No.10.” After initially using Gündogan in a Busquets kind of role in early seasons at City, Guardiola shifted him to a No.10 role. He embraced the role very well and started scoring crucial goals for City. His late runs into the box, intelligent movements, and accurate finishing would provide Barcelona with an added goal threat. We have already seen him scoring important goals for City.



Gündogan along with his footballing proficiency brings leadership on the table. He could help young midfielders like Pedri, Gavi, Pablo Torre and others improve their understanding of the game. He brings with him experience of playing at the highest level for the best clubs of the world. He will bring the elite winning mentality with him in the dressing room. All in all it will not be incorrect to say that Xavi has found a winner in Ilkay Gundogan.



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