Barcelona parting ways with Gundogan – the right move or a grave error? | OneFootball

In line with the new annual tradition, Barcelona are having yet another rollercoaster of a summer transfer window.

Financial difficulties still seem to hold the club back, seeing them miss out on crucial signings such as Nico Williams and even be unable to register players both new and old before the start of the season in what is frustratingly becoming the norm.

As such, Barcelona desperately need to offload some players off their wage bill should they want to foray into the transfer market for quality signings or even successfully integrate them, with the likes of Dani Olmo still unregistered.

Key players and hefty earners such as Frenkie de Jong, Raphinha, and Ferran Torres have all found themselves rumoured to be on the exit ramp at the club. While some of them warrant the ‘disposable’ status, the latest to slot into this list is surprising, to say the least.

Over the past 24 hours, it has been confirmed that Barcelona have put Ilkay Gundogan on the transfer market.

With the German having seemingly accepted his fate and a return to Manchester City on the cards, it is a decision that has baffled the entire fanbase.

With the departure now set to go through, let’s note the positives and negatives that might come with the exit of Gundogan.

The Cons

1. Letting go Barcelona’s most consistent performer

A top performer. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Barcelona and former manager Xavi Hernandez had a torrid season last time out which eventually ended in the club legend being sacked.

Among the very few positives from the trophyless campaign gone by was the sheer brilliance and availability of one 33-year-old Gundogan.

Dealt a tough hand with key injuries in midfield to Pedri, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong, Gundogan filled all of these roles and positions with incredible ease.

His incredible game IQ and technical proficiency meant Gundogan knew what was expected from the roles he was fielded in. But it was his composure and consistency in performances that kept Barcelona ticking and in the hunt for trophies until the latter stages of the season.

To put things into context, Gundogan played 51 matches in all competitions for Barça in his debut season out of a possible 53 – missing just two – a testament to his quality, consistency and fitness. He finished with five goals and 14 assists, standing out as a big positive in a poor season.

To lose that kind of assurance and reliability must surely come as a big blow for Barcelona, that too at a time when the team is undergoing a serious rebuild.

2. Barcelona lose his experience and winning mentality

Barcelona lose a proven winner. (Photo by PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty Images)

One of the many positives from the pre-season under new head coach Hansi Flick was the emergence of new quality talents from La Masia and the trust placed in them by the German manager.

In his traditional 4-2-3-1 setup, Flick deployed youngsters Marc Bernal and Marc Casado as his pivots, an experiment that worked bore fruit. However, it also meant Gundogan wasn’t included in the initial plans for the midfield setup.

As it could now very well become a reality, while Barcelona would lose their most dependable performer, they would also barter some much-needed experience and leadership for youthful energy.

Gundogan has been a de-facto captain of this Barcelona team ever since he arrived from Manchester City.

For proof, his public assessment of defeats against Real Madrid and the heart-breaking loss to PSG in the Champions League may have not been well-received by the players but was honest and a statement of intent by a leader pushing his side to do more.

Therefore, while the incredible talent of Casado and Bernal will undeniably serve Barcelona well for the future, losing Gundogan’s experience, know-how, and winning mentality from this relatively young squad is a matter of concern.

Will it come back to haunt Barcelona? Time will tell.

The Pros

1. A misfit off the salary books

Not a good fit in Hansi Flick’s setup? (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

It has only been a few weeks into the Hansi Flick era but visible changes can be seen on the pitch with regards to the playing style and structure.

As discussed before, Flick likes his teams to play highly risk-averse and direct, vertical football complimented by lots and lots of running to gain the ball back. Both of these attributes don’t really help Gundogan’s case.

The 33-year-old has always been the kind of profile that sets the tempo of the team with his incredible control and awareness.

However, in a side that emphasizes playing the ball quickly and attacking relentlessly whilst giving up the sense of control, Gundogan is bound to suffer. Nor you can expect him to cover large distances on a frequent basis to win back possession due to his age.

These shortcomings of the German star when deployed in this system were there for all to see against Monaco in the Joan Gamper trophy.

Factor in the availability of more suitable profiles in Pablo Torre and Fermin Lopez and Flick going in a different direction with his pivots of choice, Gundogan would be considered surplus to requirements in an overbooked midfield.

It also means his potential departure would reprieve Barcelona of their mammoth effort to make space in the wage bill for the arrival and registration of new players, including Olmo.

2. More game time for young talents

Barcelona looking towards the future. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

It is indeed a double-edged sword to talk about the correlation between Gundogan’s age and his performances.

As mentioned before, Gundogan was Barcelona’s most consistent performer last season. Losing his experience and leadership could prove to be the difference between an ailing midfield and an all-conquering one.

However, Barcelona have a plethora of talents bursting on the scene and staking a claim for a place in the lineup.

With the likes of Casado and Bernal impressing at the base of midfield, and Pedri, Dani Olmo, Fermin and Pablo Torre destined to thrive as attack-driven midfielders, particularly under the style of the new coach, deploying an ageing Gundogan in any of those positions would mean depriving these talents of some much-needed game-time.

As often as it has proved to be lately, banking on the future has served Barcelona pretty well in the last few years and going ahead with the same plan might not only be logical but prudent as well.

Conclusion

All in all, it all seems a hasty decision by the club’s management to free up space in the wage bill at the expense of whoever it might be.

The fact that Gundogan, ‘Mr. Dependable’ if you like, is chosen to be the sacrificial lamb might come across as baffling to a large portion of the fanbase.

However, while we all were front-row audience to his simplistic brilliance last season, counting on his services as a soon-to-be 34-year-old to start and deliver every game wouldn’t exactly be smart.

It’s not to undermine his obvious quality as a player and the respect he still commands in the footballing world. But the possibility of moving on a player in his twilight years for the prominence of youngsters looks like a smart piece of business both financially and sportingly.