Despite being serial winners of the Premier League, Pep Guardiola’s relentless quest for perfection at Man City continues.
The Catalan will seemingly stop at nothing to ensure that his team remain the men to beat, and the convincing way that they swept aside Chelsea in their opening fixture for the 2024/25 season must’ve set the alarm bells off elsewhere.
Despite not having Rodri, arguably their most important player in situ, Guardiola’s side eased to a comfortable victory.
Pep Guardiola reunited with Ilkay Gundogan at Man City
Having a few experienced heads amongst the talented youngsters has always been Pep’s modus operandi, so when the chance came for him to surprisingly be reunited with his former captain, Ilkay Gundogan, he took it.
It appears that the German has been pushed aside at Barcelona in the name of Financial Fair Play, and Barca’s loss is very definitely City’s gain.
?? Documents and contracts signed for Ilkay Gündogan, his return to Manchester City will be announced soon.
Barcelona let him leave for free, it was key condition for Man City to accept. Pep Guardiola wanted Gündo back.
One year contract plus option until June 2026. pic.twitter.com/2FscUvkJSE
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 22, 2024
According to CaughtOffside columnist and transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, all of the paperwork is now complete, and Gundogan can again be considered as a City player.
The deal is for one season with the option of another, and that will arguably suit both parties, given Gundogan’s advancing years, and with the notion that Pep may well decide to move on at the end of the current campaign.
The player’s time in Catalonia can still be considered to be a success, even if he didn’t win the trophies that he’d hoped.
In 52 games in total for Barca, he scored five goals and provided 14 assists per transfermarkt, and that’s precisely the kind of output Guardiola will again be expecting.
Barcelona, in turn, will be hoping that the likes of Dani Olmo and Frenkie de Jong can provide similar numbers or the club risk going another season without silverware.
From Gundogan’s own point of view, he has the chance to end his top-flight career in the most special way.
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