Ilkay Gundogan left Manchester City on the highest possible high as the captain of their treble-winning team.
It seemed like the German’s eight-year running love-affair at the Etihad Stadium had ended on the perfect note as he soon decided to sign for Barcelona.
But on Monday, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Barcelona were ready to sell Gundogan, despite him being at the club for just one season as well as emerging as one of their best players.
Soon after, Romano also revealed that Pep Guardiola has approved of Gundogan’s return as well, with the midfield maestro’s representatives contacted over a move to East Manchester.
However, the Italian journalist claimed that the Barcelona technician also has offers from clubs in Saudi Arabia and Qatar as well.
If Gundogan did return to City, they could set up in various ways just due to his presence.
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The treble-winning setup could return if Gundogan returned to Man City
Firstly, Pep Guardiola has the option of reverting back to the XI that led his team to win a historic treble.
The two-time Bundesliga winner return could slot back in alongside Kevin De Bruyne as one of the two attacking midfielders, while the box midfield also featuring John Stones and Rodri could line up again.
With the likes of Jeremy Doku and Savinho not being at the club during Gundogan’s final season, Guardiola could deploy either or both of them on the flanks.
But if the £378,846-a-week man reckons Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish are the optimum options out wide as a part of this setup, he does have the option to do so if the veteran were to re-sign for City.
Unlike Bernardo and Foden, Gundogan provides both defensive solidity and creativity as he can both defend as a part of a double pivot when the Sky Blues are out of possession while push up and wreak havoc in the final third when the English giants have the ball.
Ilkay Gundogan could give Man City the option of resting Rodri
If Pep Guardiola decided to rest Rodri in the odd game, Gundogan could come into the side and replace him as Manchester City’s number six.
In such a set-up, ideally, the German’s best partner would be Bernardo to ease the defensive burden on his shoulders in a deeper role due to his incredible engine and tenacity.
Furthermore, the pair’s experience of playing alongside each other would mean Manchester City have a seasoned double pivot at their disposal who provide both defensive rigidity, inch-perfect passing, sublime technique and a shared knack of dictating the tempo of games.
Even if Rodri was sidelined due to injury, Pep Guardiola would not perhaps be as worried as he were to be if he did not have Gundogan at his disposal due to his experience of playing as a holding midfielder.
Man City could play with a false nine if Gundogan returned
Ultimately, the reasons why Manchester City ever played a system revolving around a false nine in the first place was due to Sergio Aguero’s recurring fitness issues and the absence of another striker in his absence who was a thoroughbred goalscorer.
Now that City have goalscoring extraordinaire Erling Haaland on their books, their need to revert to such a system no longer exists.
But after Julian Alvarez’s exit and the Sky Blues’ decision not to directly replace him yet, if the Norwegian was unavailable for the odd game, Gundogan’s presence could allow them to revert to the system.
When the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder went on a goalscoring spree where he scored 17 goals in all competitions during the 2020/2021, many felt he was the team’s false nine.
But in reality, the role was either handed to Bernardo or Foden, with Gundogan pushing up in De Bruyne’s absence and making astute movements into the box from the left-hand side of midfield to score goals.
The former German skipper could allow Pep Guardiola to do so once again and dominate proceedings against certain teams.
