Last week, news from Camp Nou revealed that Ilkay Gundogan was cleared by Barcelona's leadership to leave. It seems that immediately, Man City fans were very excited on forums about the prospect of seeing the former captain of the team reunite in the summer of 2024. Not only fans of The Citizens, but captain Pep Guardiola himself He also hopes that Gundogan will return to Etihad to continue conquering more noble titles with him.
On the contrary, after knowing that there is still a lot of love from Man City, Gundogan feels happy and also hopes that the reunion will come soon. Everything now depends entirely on Barcelona. Although there will be many difficulties in negotiations, at least Blaugrana enters this deal with the intention of liquidating people to open up more space in the salary budget.
Last season, Gundogan played quite impressively for Barcelona. However, with the return of Dani Olmo (26 years old, 7 years younger than Gundogan), Barca clearly showed their intention to rejuvenate the squad. Olmo will theoretically play in Gundogan's position, so this action from the Blaugrana is considered a clever dismissal.
As for Man City, in Pep's open spirit, how to negotiate is the final obstacle. After winning the treble, Gundogan initially wanted to sign an extension with Man City but the two sides met again during the exchange process. After that, the German midfielder left the shirt when the two could not find a common voice. If he comes back this time, the story may repeat itself.
Gundogan will turn 34 next October, which is also a problem for City. However, Gundogan's announcement of his retirement from the team after EURO 2024 will help this midfielder and coach Pep Guardiola worry less as their physical strength will not be eroded too much.
Man City's transfer goal for the remainder of this summer market is very clear, they want to bring in another defensive midfielder and a center forward. However, both of these factors must be players who receive low salaries and low transfer fees. These are considered backup plans if the pillars are injured.
Pep Guardiola does not want to cause any discomfort in the dressing room when the personnel in his hands are currently stable. If Gundogan returns, whether to let this midfielder play as a starter or as a reserve is also a problem that makes it difficult for Pep to come up with a solution. Maybe when he returns to Etihad, Gundogan will be forced to get more familiar with the bench than before. Or, he is considered an option to play in the last 20 minutes to share fire with other pillars on the field when his physical strength begins to decline.
Currently, Man City's midfield is quite cramped. Previously when Gundogan was still playing for The Citizens, the position held by Mateo Kovacic belonged to the German star. Gradually, from the reserve role, Kovacic played better and better and was trusted by Pep to give him the starting role. The most recent goal against Chelsea proved that. If Gundogan returns, he may have to be content to sit behind Kovacic in personnel selection.
Gundogan is about to turn 34 and he is conscious of his own competitiveness at this time. If you accept that, Etihad's door will always be open. Man City has a good staff, Barcelona has money to pay Olmo's salary and Gundogan himself can continue to play top football rather than joining a team with a lower level to play the rest of his career. That is a good scenario for all three parties.
Before leaving Man City , Gundogan was the captain and was loved by his teammates, as evidenced by the secret ballots to elect captain. The future is unpredictable, but at least if we return to Etihad Stadium, everything will be like a happy fairy tale.
