Fingers have been pointed at Barcelona’s management for intentionally pressuring Ilkay Gundogan to leave the team, in order to alleviate the financial burden on the club and allow for the signing of new players.
However, the Spanish newspaper “AS” has revealed a major surprise, stating that coach Hansi Flick is the one behind the expected departure of the German international from Camp Nou in the remaining days of the summer transfer window.
According to the report, Flick informed the sports director Deco weeks ago that he does not see Gundogan playing a key role in the new Barcelona he is planning. To avoid leaking the news and frustrating the player, the coach spoke directly to him and told him the same thing.
Flick believes that the current Barcelona does not have the right players to play the short-passing and possession-based style that the team was once famous for. Instead, he wants a more attacking team that is quick in transitioning from defense to attack. He believes players like Dani Olmo, Fermin, and Gavi (when he recovers from injury) are more suited to this style.
Flick also plans to implement his usual high-pressure style, similar to what he did at Bayern Munich, and realizes that having both Robert Lewandowski and Gundogan on the pitch together would hinder this, given their advanced age.
The Polish striker is considered a key element in the team due to the number of goals he scores, and his agent, Pini Zahavi, has a good relationship with president Joan Laporta. Therefore, Gundogan is the weakest link in this equation.
For his part, Gundogan does not fully understand Flick’s technical justifications, but he has accepted his point of view, which is why he has submitted a transfer request in recent days.
It is worth noting that the English media has confirmed that the 34-year-old is attracting interest from Manchester City, and the newspaper “Sport” has said that Barcelona has offered the player to Al-Nassr.
