Guardiola with exception for Gündoğan: First transfer of an over-32 field player since taking office

Actually “not a big fan”

Guardiola with exception for Gündoğan: First transfer of an over-32 field player since taking office

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Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola is happy to make an exception for İlkay Gündoğan. “As a coach, I’m not a big fan of signing players of his age. I’m not a big fan. But I know İlkay very well, his mentality and his position. He’s a great competitor,” said Guardiola before the English champions’ first game of the season on Saturday (4 p.m.) against Ipswich Town. The 33-year-old Gündoğan returned to his previous employer after just one season at FC Barcelona.

A look at the Skyblues’ transfer history confirms the Spaniard’s statement. Since Guardiola took over in Manchester in the summer of 2016/17, only two players over the age of 32 have been signed – both goalkeepers. Scott Carson joined the club as a third keeper on a free transfer from Derby County in 2021 at the age of 35, while €18 million was paid to Barcelona for Claudio Bravo in 2016.

Gündoğan is the first over-32 outfield player to move to the Citizens during the Guardiola era. “We had no doubts when the opportunity arose,” said Guardiola of the “surprising” and “unexpected” transfer that the club announced on Friday. “He is not coming here to retire or to remember the experiences he had,” explained Guardiola. In his last City season to date, 2022/23, Gündoğan was captain and led the team to the treble of Champions League, league and cup. In total, he won the English championship five times under Guardiola.

But there is no guarantee that the former captain of the German national team will play. “It’s about how he trains and how he plays,” said Guardiola, adding that his performance has to be right. Gündoğan’s potential is already well known: “Everyone knows him, has known him for seven years here. All the fans, he himself and his friends know how good he is.” The former Dortmund player is already an option for the starting eleven for the duel against Ipswich Town.

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