Manchester City have signed Ilkay Gundogan from Barcelona on a one-year contract, with the option of a further 12 months. The 33-year-old re-joins City for free, having left for Camp Nou last summer.
Our writers — experts in transfers, tactics, data and football finance — have come together to rate this summer’s senior Premier League transfers in five categories, with each aspect given a score out of 100, to reach a total score out of 500. Hence, The Athletic 500. The ratings are explained in more detail here (not all transfers will be rated as there may be a lack of data to support an analysis).
Below is our rating for this move.
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Tactical fit — 77/100
A look at how the player fits into his new club tactically, using Sentient Sports’ bespoke tactical-fit model, explained by our tactical expert.
Reuniting with former captain Gundogan is a no-brainer for Manchester City.
In addition to providing the leadership that saw him captain City to a treble in 2022-23, the German offers cover in midfield. Gundogan’s versatility and football intelligence mean he can play as a No 8 or a No 6 (and even as a false nine), giving City a quality alternative in key positions.
Barcelona benefited from those attributes last season, with Gundogan featuring across multiple positions in midfield, as evidenced by his attacking-half touchmap. Most of those minutes came at the base of midfield, where he was by far the Catalans’ best option.
However, Gundogan had the licence to move forward, with Barcelona needing his goals from midfield amid Pedri’s injuries and Robert Lewandowski’s struggles. It meant Gundogan managed 19 goal contributions (five goals, 14 assists) in 51 matches across competitions, the most since the 2020-21 campaign when he scored 17 goals and laid on four assists.
He was astute as always with his passing, completing 86 per cent of his 75.5 attempts per 90, and often kickstarted moves, like he did below for Joao Felix’s goal against Atletico Madrid.
Gundogan, who is positioned the deepest out of Barcelona’s midfield three, dribbles past an Atletico presser before slipping in Lewandowski, who feeds Joao Felix to score. Gundogan also moves brilliantly after his pass to ensure he is in the optimum position to score if Lewandowski’s cutback is slightly heavier or if the Portuguese misses it. It’s a testament to his football brain.
Gundogan also impressed in most playmaking metrics, as the graph below indicates.
The only area in which he did not cover himself in too much glory was in some of his defensive work, though Barcelona’s possession-dominant style was a key reason. Gundogan averaged only 1.0 tackles per 90 and won just 31 per cent of his dribbler tackles, ranking him in the bottom three and 11 per cent of La Liga midfielders, respectively. In contrast, Rodri averaged 2.2 tackles per 90 and won 49 per cent of his dribbler tackles in the Premier League last season, so there will be a gap to bridge.
When it came to the No 8 position last season, Pep Guardiola pivoted towards deploying box-to-box midfielders with the signings of Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes, alongside the creative Kevin De Bruyne or Phil Foden on the other side. While Gundogan is still great with the ball at his feet, the physical demands will be different to what he was previously accustomed to at City.
Turning 34 on October 24, Gundogan is Guardiola’s most senior option in midfield and will be aware that he is not a nailed-on starter — particularly after Kovacic’s impressive performances in pre-season and against Chelsea over the weekend, not to mention Rodri’s impending return.
However, Gundogan has qualities that the team needs, and Guardiola will certainly know how to get the best out of his first-ever signing for City once again.
Anantaajith Raghuraman
Season rating: 85/100
Rating the player over the course of last season, using statistics from The Athletic’s data team.
Gundogan only joined Barcelona last summer on a two-year deal after a historic treble with City. He faced challenges due to injuries affecting key midfielders, including Gavi, who suffered an ACL injury, and Pedri, who dealt with hamstring and muscular issues throughout the season.
Gundogan adapted by featuring in different midfield roles, as mentioned above, and he played well amid the changing dynamics in midfield and set a strong example as one of the senior players on the team.
He also became the second-oldest player to score for Barcelona in El Clasico in October 2023.
In La Liga, Barcelona finished second, 10 points behind Real Madrid. The team were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals, but Gundogan gave a good account of himself during the competition.
He then captained Germany at Euro 2024. Gundogan was integral to a side that dominated in the group stages before being knocked out by eventual winners Spain.
Gillian Kasirye
Gaming rating: 84/100
Rating the player according to Football Manager 2024’s data across both current and potential ability.
Football Manager’s comprehensive scouting network understandably views Gundogan as a midfielder capable of walking into the starting XI of most Premier League teams.
He has a current ability rating of 167 out of 200 on FM24, ranking him higher than Kovacic (152) but behind Rodri (180). Gundogan’s rating is also higher than that of Manchester United midfielder Casemiro (157).
As he is 33 years old, Gundogan is not expected to substantially improve in the future, with FM allotting him a potential ability rating of 167 as well. Kovacic and Casemiro have potential ability ratings of 172 and 170 respectively, while Rodri’s remains at 180.
All of this suggests Gundogan is one of the best available additions to the reigning Premier League champions’ already impressive midfield.
Anantaajith Raghuraman
Financial value rating: 73/100
A four-category summary of the player’s transfer in financial terms — and whether it makes sense for his new club
Market value — 22/25
While Gundogan is 33 and seemingly approaching the end of his physical prime, signing one of the best midfield players in the world from Barcelona on a free transfer is excellent business. For context, Marco Verratti, 31, left PSG for Qatar’s Al Arabi in a deal worth around £39million last summer, and Casemiro, 31, joined Manchester United from Real Madrid for around £70m the year before.
Squad cost — 23/25
City have had a quiet window so far, with only Savinho’s addition from fellow City Football Group club Troyes in France strengthening the first team. Gundogan’s free transfer means City can remain active for the remainder of the window while not needing to spend on a replacement for Kalvin Phillips, who left the Etihad on a season-long loan to Ipswich Town.
Contract sensibility — 21/25
City will have few qualms about the arrangement here. Gundogan re-joins the club where he won five Premier League titles and a Champions League on an initial one-year deal with an option for another. For his guaranteed year, Gundogan brings trophy-winning experience and world-class quality to a side looking to win their fifth league title on the trot. But if things do not go to plan, there’s a break option at the end. It appears to be a deal that suits both parties down to the ground.
Resale value — 7/25
Gundogan is returning to City to spend the remainder of his prime years, and neither side will be thinking about the potential for a future sale in this deal. He will be 35 by the time his contract expires — providing he remains at City for a second year — after which he could seek another move away, finish his career at the club where he has legend status or possibly retire. The chances of him leaving for a fee at his age seem slim.
Elias Burke
Risk or reward? 81/100
Is there a history of injury or other problems that could crop up and make this deal a bad one in retrospect? Or does the player come with a clean bill of health? Our expert takes a look.
Gundogan’s return to City on a free transfer is, as mentioned above, the “no-brainer” signing of the window.
Even at his age, Gundogan is one of the best midfield players in the world. Before he left for Barcelona, he was among the first names on Guardiola’s teamsheet as City completed their treble in the 2022-23 season, where he scored both goals and won the player of the match award in the 2-1 FA Cup final win over rivals Manchester United.
He returns to the Etihad to perfectly fill the hole he vacated last year after Guardiola trialled Nunes and Kovacic in the role to varying success. While he may not play as prominent a role as in the latter half of 2022-23, when he was arguably City’s best player, Gundogan is as reliable as ever in big matches and will inevitably pop up with important goals throughout the campaign.
There is, of course, the concern that Gundogan’s physical qualities could decline sharply, as Premier League fans witnessed with Liverpool’s Fabinho and Manchester United’s Casemiro. But for every Fabinho and Casemiro, there’s a Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, who remained remarkably influential into their late 30s at international level and with Real Madrid.
To top it off, Gundogan’s excellent injury record since suffering an ACL injury in the 2016-17 season was maintained last season at Barcelona. Without having to pay a transfer fee, City have one of the most reliable servants of the Guardiola era back at the Etihad.
Elias Burke
Overall rating: 400/500
(Photo: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)
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