Former Barcelona midfield ace reflects upon his successful time at the club

FC Barcelona's summer transfer window was decent; while they had their dream signing, Dani Olmo, accomplished, they also made significant player departures. Be it Julian Araujo's Bournemouth sale, Faye's Rennes departure, or sending Vitor Roque and Lenglet to loan deals, the club made a remarkable recovery in managing the club's salary bill.

Former Barcelona midfield ace reflects upon his successful time at the club

However, one departure that had raised many eyebrows upon its announcement was the return of veteran star Ilkay Gundogan to Manchester City. Reflecting upon his only season at Barca, it can be easily concluded that even being 32 years old, the German star had one of his best seasons. Managing 19 goal contributions in 51 appearances in Barcelona's 2023/24 campaign, Gundogan was arguably the best midfield ace in La Liga.

Considering such brilliant stats in his Barca duration, several questions were raised as to why the club had him leave for free. But, being the gentleman he is, Gundogan agreed to leave after analyzing the club's difficult financial situation, which was termed the major reason for his departure. Even now, Ilkay doesn't have any regrets about what Barca did to him, as he recently mentioned in a media address.

Reflecting upon his 2023/24 campaign at the Blaugrana club, Gundogan said,

""I think I had a successful time in Barcelona. I mean, apart from anything, I played for one of the biggest teams in the world. I fulfilled one of my childhood dreams, playing for Barcelona and wearing that badge.""

- Ilkay Gundogan

Given the kind of season Gundogan delivered at the club, he deserved at least a major trophy as an honor; however, unfortunately, the campaign remained trophyless for Barca. However, the veteran midfielder doesn't hold any regrets, claiming his time at the club to be fantastic. Gundogan mentioned,

""At Barça, at the end of the season, we had 85 points, 3 less than when we won La Liga. It was a hard experience, but fantastic. I don't regret anything.""

- Ilkay Gundogan

Overall, even though FC Barcelona parted ways with the midfield ace after just one season, Ilkay Gundogan will always be remembered as an integral part of Barca's history due to his contributions to the club during their difficult times.