The stint of İlkay Gündoğan as a player for FC Barcelona proved to be as fleeting as it was intense. The experienced 33-year-old midfielder only donned the Blaugrana shirt during the 2023/24 season, but it was enough to leave an indelible mark on the club as a player with well-established quality. In fact, he ended the season as the team's leader in assists, with 14 goals set up, in addition to contributing with five goals, becoming a key figure in the offensive framework of the Barcelona squad.
However, despite his outstanding performance, the Barcelona side decided to do without his services for the 2024/25 season, letting him leave for free this summer. Apparently, this decision was primarily motivated by economic reasons, as during a period of financial difficulties for the Catalan entity, Gündogan's wages (€18.7 million gross - €9 million net) represented one of the heaviest salary burdens in the Barcelona payroll. Although the way his departure was managed may not have been the most appropriate, it was the quickest option they found to resolve the situation.
Another aspect that marked İlkay Gündoğan's time at FC Barcelona were his public criticisms at key moments towards the team. In fact, on more than one occasion, the German midfielder did not hesitate to point out the flaws of both the Blaugrana team in general and some specific teammates. For example, he did not hesitate to single out, without directly naming him, Ronald Araújo following the Uruguayan's expulsion in the tragic quarter-final match of the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain (1-4), an incident that seemed to clearly influence the result to the detriment of Xavi Hernandez's side.
Gündoğan's Disappointment with the Attitude of Two of His Teammates at FC Barcelona
Recently, a striking detail has been revealed about İlkay Gündoğan's relationship with two of his teammates at FC Barcelona. According to the journalist Joan Fontes on the 'Bar Canaletes' podcast, the midfielder had disagreements with the attitude of two players before leaving the club.
Fontes suggested that 'Gündo' was uncomfortable with the reserved personality of his compatriot and captain of the Barcelona team, Marc-André ter Stegen. It seems that the midfielder expected the experienced goalkeeper, as a leader in the dressing room, to be more proactive in addressing certain internal team issues.
It is also mentioned that Gündoğan was disappointed with another teammate, paradoxically someone with whom he already had a relationship before arriving at FC Barcelona: Robert Lewandowski. İlkay's disappointment with the Polish forward seemed to be related not so much to leadership aspects, as in the case of Ter Stegen, but rather with the perception that 'Lewy' showed an individualistic and uncollaborative approach with the younger players, something that the German midfielder did not view favorably.