Fifteen months ago, Ilkay Gundogan lifted the Champions League trophy aloft in Istanbul after leading Manchester City to an unprecedented Treble.
The German midfielder had arguably been City’s most important player in the run-in, chipping in with a number of vital goals, to write his name into the club’s history books forever.
Having been an underrated part of Pep Guardiola‘s winning machine, Gundogan had the world at his feet and his destiny very much in his own hands.
Did he want to stay at City to continue their dominance, or was it time for a fresh challenge? He opted for the latter and chose to join Barcelona on a free transfer.
But now, a little over a year later, he is looking for another new club with his time at the Catalan giants seemingly over already. Which begs the question: where has it all gone wrong for him at Barcelona?
Ilkay Gundogan only joined Barcelona a little over a year ago from Manchester City
It was his dream move alongside wife Sara Arfaoui (right), but now looks to be over already
Barcelona are in a delicate financial situation, and president Joan Laporta (pictured) is aiming to raise funds
After all, moving to Catalonia with his actress and model wife Sara Arfaoui was his dream, but now it all looks set to end, and much quicker than anyone could have anticipated.
As has often been the case at Barcelona in recent years, money appears to be a major factor in Gundogan’s imminent exit.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Gundogan earns around €20m-a-year (£17m-a-year) at Barcelona, and is categorised as a ‘franchise player’ due to his salary being over five per cent of the club’s total wage bill.
The Spanish outfit have been battling with money issues for a number of seasons, and were fined £434,000 for breaching UEFA’s financial rules last year.
Therefore, they find themselves in a ‘desperate’ situation where they need to raise funds just to register players, including Euro 2024 winner Dani Olmo, who signed for the club earlier this month.
Getting rid of Gundogan would reportedly free up €14m (£12m) in the club’s fair play budget, and could allow Barcelona to reinvest 70 per cent of these savings into new signings.
But isn’t Gundogan one of the first names on the teamsheet?
Well, last season he was, and he had no intention of leaving at the start of the summer, according to Relevo. Now, things have changed.
The 33-year-old was deemed ‘essential’ by Xavi and featured in 36 LaLiga games in…