Barcelona have been sincere with Ilkay Gundogan. He set a huge buyout amount even for a 32-year-old player.
Gundogan became a Barcelona player. On the 26th (Korean time), Barcelona said on the club website, “Barcelona and Gundogan have agreed to a contract. He will join for two seasons until June 30, 2025, with the possibility of staying for another year. 400 million euros (approximately 570.1 billion won).”
Gundogan is a midfielder from Germany. The 20-year-old, who stood out in the Bundesliga at Nuremberg, scored the team’s opening goal in the second leg of the promotion playoffs in the 2009–10 season, displaying a ‘clutching ability’ that continues to this day.
He was also a member of the ‘Bee Corps’. Gundogan joined Jurgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund in 2011 and immediately jumped to the core of the team, leading Dortmund to two consecutive Bundesliga titles and DFB-Pokal championship in the 2011-12 season. Gundogan stayed in Dortmund for 5 seasons and was reborn as a top midfielder in the Bundesliga.안전놀이터
After that, he became the main character of ‘Pepsi City’s 1st recruitment’. Pep Guardiola, who took over at Manchester City in 2016, picked Gundogan as his first signing. In terms of technique alone, there was no way Guardiola, who prefers technical players, could miss Gundogan, who is not lacking even at the world’s best level.
The 2020-21 season finally spread its wings. That season, Gundogan focused on penetrating inside the box in an attacking situation in a form higher than the central midfielder, and laid the foundation for Man City’s third consecutive Premier League victory with an amazing performance of 13 goals and 3 assists in 28 league games.
As a captain, he also completed ‘Treble’. Gundogan wore the captain’s armband and scored goals in every important game for Man City, playing a decisive role in the team’s leap in the second half. As Guardiola’s first transfer student, he became captain and completed Manchester City’s legend.
Now I am a Barcelona player. Guardiola wanted Gundogan to stay, but Gundogan chose Barcelona, who offered him a longer-term contract. According to England’s ‘The Athletic’, Manchester City offered a 1+2 year contract, while Barcelona offered a 2+1 year contract.
The situation in Gundogan also had an impact. Gundogan became his father last March. With the birth of his child, he wanted a longer and more stable contract, which led to a move to Barcelona.
There was also a desire for new challenges. Gundogan has done it all for Man City this season. For Gundogan, who had conquered the Bundesliga and Premier League, the challenge at Barcelona was bound to be attractive. He rejected all offers from Saudi Arabia and headed to Camp Nou.
Barcelona also responded with a heartfelt offer to Gundogan. According to ‘The Athletic’, Gundogan will receive an annual salary worth 9 million euros (approximately 12.8 billion won) after tax, and if he plays more than 60% of the team’s games in the second season, the contract is automatically extended for one year.
The buyout is great too. Barcelona set 400 million euros as the amount of Gundogan’s release clause. Considering that virtually no club will pay such a transfer fee for a 32-year-old player, it is understandable that Barcelona will classify Gundogan as a key player and use him in moderation.
Coach Xabi Hernandez is also a welcome addition. He has emphasized to the club several times early on how important Gundogan is to his project. Barcelona also quickly processed the contract, judging that there would be no better signing than Gundogan, who was released as a free agent (FA).