After just one season aside Ilkay Gundogan seems to be set to reunite with Pep Guardiola at Manchester Metropolis.
In June 2023, the 33-year-old left the Etihad to hitch Barcelona solely weeks after lifting the Champions League trophy. The ex-German worldwide signed a two-year cope with the choice of a 3rd – however simply over a yr on he’s set to chop quick his keep in Catalonia, in favour of a return to Manchester with no switch payment concerned.
However why are the La Liga giants prepared to let him go away on a free? As is usually the case with Barcelona lately, a fragile balancing of the funds has pressured the problem.
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Why Barcelona are prepared to let Ilkay Gundogan depart for nothing – and return to Manchester Metropolis
Pep Guardiola has solely ever signed one participant who he’d labored with beforehand: Thiago Alcantara (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
The choice to permit Gundogan to depart for nothing whereas he has loads of time left on his contract will baffle these exterior of Spain.
However his departure is required to permit star summer time signing Dani Olmo to play, following his €55 million arrival from RB Leipzig earlier this month.
Euros star Olmo performs in the identical place as Gundogan and is regarded as important to new supervisor Hansi Flick’s desired tactical gameplan.
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Barcelona have re-signed La Masia grad Dani Olmo (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
However fairly than enable the 2 to compete for a spot this season, Barca must get Gundogan off the books to permit them to play Olmo.
To date they’ve been unable to checklist Olmo of their squad resulting from La Liga’s monetary guidelines that guarantee golf equipment steadiness expenditures on wages and transfers with obtainable property.
Releasing Gundogan, even with out a switch payment, would reportedly liberate €14m within the membership’s truthful play price range, permitting them to formally register Olmo and get him on the pitch.
The weird state of affairs is about to profit Metropolis who at the moment are closing in on a deal to re-sign the person who captained them to historic a treble solely final yr.
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