After Vincent Kompany, Ilkay Gundogan is widely regarded as Manchester City’s greatest-ever captain in recent history.
Captaining a side to a treble is no mean feat and Gundogan led from the front as City made history in June 2023.
It was reported by Fabrizio Romano on Tuesday that if Gundogan said yes to joining Manchester City, his move could become a possibility with Barcelona agreeing to sell him for free and Pep Guardiola being on board with the move.
Another claim that emerged on the same day is that City reckon they will sign Gundogan by the time they face Ipswich Town on Saturday — indicating the rapid rate at which this potential transfer could be moving at.
Considering the Barcelona midfielder left the Etihad Stadium as their skipper, perhaps the assumption would be that he would be handed the captain’s armband if he returned to the club.
However, to hand Gundogan such a responsibility a year since his time as a City player might be the incorrect decision.
Making Gundogan Man City captain if he returns could lead to dressing room fiction
It goes without saying that the 33-year-old would suit the role to a tee.
A majority of Manchester City’s current squad have played and thrived under Gundogan’s leadership.
As a result, the players in question would likely welcome the decision.
However, the risk remains that if Gundogan does return to Manchester City as their brand-new skipper, the call could undermine Kyle Walker.
Having worn the armband for the Sky Blues as they won the Premier League, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup last season, Walker enjoyed a trophy-laden campaign as City’s captain last season.
How the £50 million man would react if the responsibility was stripped off him after just one campaign remains unknown.
But Walker is a senior player at City and such a decision could potentially lead to him undermining his authority.
Considering the Englishman’s status in the dressing room, if Gundogan were to return and instantly become City’s skipper, it could create friction behind closed doors.
Aside from Pep Guardiola’s tactical genius, the quality and consistency of their players and the club’s brilliant recruitment, one of the key factors behind their success seems to be a happy camp.
After Manchester City’s recent 2-0 win against Chelsea, Guardiola stressed how tight-knit the dressing room is.
Speaking to NBC Sports after the contest, the Catalan revealed: “The group of guys we have is unbelievable. They are real, real friends and with them, you know, you can go anywhere.”
Considering Pep Guardiola seemingly values the Manchester City camp’s close bond as a unit, it might not be worth risking that by handing Gundogan the armband that Walker has spent years to earn.
Ilkay Gundogan does not need the armband to be a leader at Man City
If Gundogan did return to City and was not made the club captain, ultimately, a seemingly natural leader himself would continue to set the example for the rest even if he did not have the armband.
Even before the German was ever Manchester City’s skipper, he led by example — stepping up during tough times for his side, giving his all both defensively and offensively and embracing the biggest of games.
For instance, when the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder came on as a late substitute to rescue Manchester City’s title hopes against Aston Villa on the final day of the 2021/2022 season, he was not the club’s skipper.
However, Gundogan’s heroic cameo where he scored a brilliant brace was a true captain’s performance.
Similarly, the veteran’s pair of strikes against Barcelona in the Champions League back in the 2016/2017 season emerged at a time when City were struggling for form and Kompany was their captain.
Yet, Gundogan spearheaded an exceptional win for the Sky Blues and if he were to return, he would not require an armband to stick out like a sore thumb as a leader in the dressing room.
