Ilkay Gundogan said helping Barcelona financially made his departure from the club easier to swallow after he sealed a return to Manchester City on Friday.
Gundogan joined Barca last year after enjoying seven trophy-laden campaigns with City, winning 14 pieces of silverware during his time at the Etihad Stadium, including captaining the side to a Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup treble in 2022-23.
The midfielder made 51 appearances in his single season with the Catalan giants – more than any of his team-mates, scoring five goals and adding 14 assists in all competitions.
He also created more than twice as many chances (132) as any other Barcelona player, with Raphinha a distant second by that metric with 53.
Ninety-seven of those chances were created in LaLiga, the most by any Barca midfielder in a single season since Xavi laid on 109 under Pep Guardiola in 2009-10.
However, Barcelona needed to move Gundogan on after sealing a €60million swoop for Spain s Euro 2024 star Dani Olmo, with his salary reportedly preventing them from registering their new arrival.
In a farewell post on X, Gundogan confirmed his departure had partly been necessitated by financial reasons.
Dear Culers, after just one year it s already time to say goodbye. I came here to face a new, exciting challenge, and I was ready for it, he wrote.
I have given everything to fight for the team and the club in the best possible way in a difficult season and I was looking forward to helping my team-mates in the new campaign.
Now I am leaving in a difficult situation, but if my departure can help the club financially, it makes me a bit less sad.
Nevertheless, it s been a time with incredible experiences and ups and downs – I always wanted to play at Barca, and I am very grateful for a memory and experience that I will remember for my life.
I wish you the best for the season and for the future. The fans deserve to get this big club back to the world’s best. Visca el Barca!
