by Manchester City could complete a stunning move to bring Ilkay Gundogan back to the Etihad.
Gundogan left on a free transfer last summer when the club failed to offer him what he wanted in time, but despite impressing at Barcelona the German has now been told he could leave the Camp Nou to leave Pep Guardiola is keen to cover midfield – especially with Rodri feeling the pressure for so many games over the past two years – and Gundogan would need no time to adapt.
However, while there are many positives from the move it may not work well for everyone. Here’s a look at the biggest winners and losers if Gundogan signs.
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Rodri
For two seasons, City have done everything possible to protect Erling Haaland. It turns out that Rodri needs the same level of attention.
Not that the Spaniard breaks down often, their performances and results tend to dip when they are without him. After leading Spain to the European Championship, the £62.8m signing has never had a higher profile but no one’s season has continued longer.
Rodri wanted breaks last season as his body struggled with the demands of a long campaign and this year is expected to be even more challenging. Mateo Kovacic looked good against Chelsea but is happier in two, and while it is difficult to find a star ready to come in behind Rodri that 33-year-old Gundogan would be no less important.
It seems to fit the needs of the squad to offer cover for the 6 as well as helping out further forward.
Pep Guardiola
Guardiola has been at City for a long time because he is surrounded by people who can keep him calm and motivated. Much of that is down to his coaching staff and club hierarchy, but the same is true of players; Vincent Kompany was a big loss when he left in 2019 and Gundogan has been missed as well.
Gundogan has an incredible footballing mind, as well as being Guardiola’s neighbor in the same apartment block, Guardiola enjoyed bouncing ideas off him and was able to apply his messages on the pitch without needing to be told. Anything that makes the manager’s life easier is good news for City, and Gundogan’s return would certainly be included in that bracket.
Nico O’Reilly
City have a very promising youngster on their hands whose best positions are the No.8 and No.10 roles, although Guardiola made him up to the No.6 in pre-season. O’Reilly has huge potential, but has also had a few serious injuries that have hindered his development.
All of which makes him the perfect pupil to learn from Gundogan, who changed his preparation after a couple of serious relegations himself and mastered all three roles within Guardiola’s system. Gundogan already has experience training in the academy and would be ideal to smooth the 19-year-old’s transition into the first team.
Matheus Nunes
If Ilkay Gundogan returns, the writing will certainly be on the wall for Matheus Nunes. Signed for £51m last summer, Nunes didn’t settle anywhere near as well as Mateo Kovacic in his debut season and the summer didn’t help either; called up as a late substitute for the Portugal squad he played very well at the Euros but also missed almost a month of pre-season with Guardiola.
Nunes was already facing extra scrutiny from the young faces coming through the squad but Gundogan would automatically gain more confidence and limit his game time. There is still a chance that Nunes will break free and make his mark on the squad this season, but that will be greatly reduced if Gundogan joins.
Phil Foden
Foden showed last season that he could still play inside from a wider position, but then at the Euros he was hampered by being deployed on the wing. More importantly, he has said consistently for at least a year now that he wants to play inside and at some point City will have to make him a permanent change.
With Gundogan in the middle, as well as Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, James McAtee, Matheus Nunes and Kovacic, many players are effectively going for two points on the team. Even getting rid of one or two of those makes it harder for Foden to be where he wants to be. And last season showed that City should put Foden where he wants to be if they want the best chance of winning games and trophies.
James McAte
Gundogan could mentor McAtee like he could O’Reilly, but McAtee is a bit different in that he’s away and played senior football – in the Championship and then the Premier League, so level excellent – for the last two years. He spoke on the trip about a change of mind that means he is less bothered about a moment, but still he will not want to see his path to the first team blocked.
This matches the risk City face if they bring Gundogan back. Can he be as effective as they want him to be a year later, and can they bring him back without denying the valuable experience of the team on the other side.
