Barcelona midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has revealed he already has a ‘great connection’ with coach Xavi ahead of his official unveiling at Camp Nou on Monday.
Barça announced a deal had been struck with Gundogan just over two weeks after he lifted the Champions League trophy with Manchester City.
The 32-year-old has been away on holiday following international duty with Germany at the start of June and touched down in Barcelona on Saturday night ready to start his new chapter.
Despite growing up in Germany, Gundogan considers himself a fan of the club because of how he was drawn as a teenager to the great Barcelona teams led by Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola.
“I remember when I was a child and I saw Rijkaard and Pep’s Barça. I’m a Barça fan, I’ve always followed them closely every season and I am very happy and very proud to be part of this team,” the former Borussia Dortmund star said, via Mundo Deportivo.
Gundogan joins a Barcelona team that won La Liga last season for the first time in four years, with the club getting on back to its feet in a footballing sense under Xavi, even if the off-field financial situation still remain a more general concern.
“I expect good football,” Gundogan said. “I think there is a lot of potential in the team with very young players and I think that with my experience I can help them reach their next level. The base is there, the potential is there, so It only remains to prove it this season, that’s why I’ve come, and that’s why I’ll make an effort and put my dedication to be able to enjoy it.”
Xavi is a major reason in why Barcelona were successful last season and it appears the Camp Nou legend was also a factor in Gundogan wanting to join.
“I spoke with him several times before signing and I think we thought of football in the same way, the same as when he was a player and I as I am now. I think our way of thinking and our characters are similar, I had a great connection with him,” he explained.
What we know
- Ilkay Gundogan has arrived in Barcelona for official unveiling
- Midfielder left Man City as a free agent
- Speaks about his expectations & relationship with Xavi