Pep Guardiola 'broke transfer rule' to sign Ilkay Gundogan as Man City boss shares details

Pep Guardiola has admitted that he broke his own transfer rules to bring Ilkay Gundogan back to Manchester City. Despite turning 34 in October, Gundogan was a target for Guardiola, who usually avoids signing older players.

However, when the opportunity arose to bring Gundogan back to City, 14 months after he left on a free transfer due to Barcelona’s financial issues, Guardiola couldn’t resist.

“As a manager, I’m not a big, big fan of re-signing players with this age,” said the City boss. “But I know him quite well and his mentality is right. He’s a huge competitor and with the financial situation at Barcelona, he came back on a free.

“We talked about that and said ‘OK, we can do it’. The negotiations between the clubs were none of my business and the salary as well. It happened and we had to try.”

Guardiola immediately agreed when they spoke over the phone. He believes Gundogan’s intelligence and versatility make him a valuable asset.

Guardiola, who will be without the injured Rodri against Ipswich on Saturday, said: “He (Gundogan) can play in the same position as Rodri, like [Mateo] Kovacic, like Nico [O’Reilly], like Matheus [Nunes]. Rodri and Gundogan can play as attacking midfielders or he can play as the false nine.

“So he’s a player, who can play in different roles. He’s not defined as a football player. No, he’s a football player and he understands what you have to do to play in different positions. Everyone respects Gundo. He’s so intelligent and he’s honest in his analysis and puts the team and club in front of his own performance.”

Gundogan, fresh from his first training session back at City on Friday, comes off an impressive stint at Barcelona where he netted five goals and served up 13 assists last season, showcasing his ability to perform at the highest level.

He’s collected an enviable array of silverware during his seven years with City, culminating in lifting the treble in his swansong campaign of 2022-23, and is now zeroing in on an unprecedented fifth consecutive title win.

“I played a lot of games last season,” Gundogan reflected. “In terms of minutes, you can’t really play much more. I think that also proves I’m still competitive and ready to go. You consistently try to put the bar a little bit higher and try to be the best possible version of yourself every single day. We have the best people working here and that’s why this club is so successful, so why not make it five.”

The midfield maestro also showered praise on Guardiola, acknowledging the allure of playing under the esteemed manager, and lauding him as the finest in the game: “He’s just tactically a genius.

“He has all sorts of solutions for every probability in the game and he can give you solutions in a very short space of time. On top of that, managing a dressing room is never easy – so many personalities and so many ambitious players that want to start every game.

“It’s very important to manage that and keep everyone happy. He does that and keeps everyone on their toes.”