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"It was Barcelona or nothing": Gündogan justifies his choice

26/06/23 12:31 by Fabien Borne

Having reached the end of his contract at Manchester City on June 30, Ilkay Gündogan has decided to continue his career at FC Barcelona, despite interest from several other clubs, including Arsenal and PSG. The German international explained his decision in a lengthy article.

It's official : Ilkay Gündogan has decided to leave Manchester City at the end of his contract, after seven years of loyal service and a historic treble. The German had been offered a contract extension by the Skyblues, but opted instead to leave the English club on the back of a historic Champions League triumph.

"After the hat-trick, after the spectacular parade in the Manchester rain, I said to myself: How could it have gone better? What more could I have done? How could I have written something more perfect? And my answer was: 'It's not possible'," explained the German in a lengthy article published on The Players Tribune.

"Ever since I was a little boy, I've dreamed of wearing this jersey"

Gündogan went on to explain why he had chosen Barça, despite Arsenal, PSG and Saudi Arabia all making eyes at him. "If I had to leave, there was only one club in the world that made sense. It was Barcelona or nothing. Ever since I was a little boy, I've dreamed of wearing that shirt one day. I'm convinced I've still got a few years left at the highest level and I just want to help bring Barcelona back to where it deserves to be," confided the former Dortmund man.

"I'll be reunited with my old friend Lewandowski (with whom he played at Dortmund) and I'm looking forward to playing under another coach I've admired for a long time. When Xavi and I talked about this project, it seemed like a natural fit. I see so many similarities between us as characters and in the way we see the game," added Barcelona's first signing of the summer.

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