Lewandowski convinced Ilkay Gundogan to sign Catalans. According to reports, Robert Lewandowski of Barcelona was a major factor in his team’s probable pursuit of free agent Ilkay Gundogan this week.
After Poland’s match against Germany, Lewandowski allegedly met with Gundogan, according to writer Tomasz Wlodarczyk (via Barca Universal). Last week, the two teams faced off in a friendly international match, with the Poles coming out on top 1-0.
The attacker, who only recently switched teams to Barcelona, is said to have persuaded Gundogan, a former teammate at Borussia Dortmund, to sign with the Catalans. These discussions also appear to be close to producing results.
On Wednesday, June 21, transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano stated that Blaugrana had acquired final consent to sign and register the German. Romano shared the information on his Twitter page, writing: “We’re off to Barcelona with Ilkay Gündogan! The player gave the club the go-ahead to officially register him as a new signing. The agreement was struck just a short while ago.”
Gundogan is expected to sign a two-year deal with a one-year option with the team after his contract with Manchester City expires at the end of the month.
At Barcelona, Robert Lewandowski and Ilkay Gundogan will reunite after working well together previously:
Ilkay Gundogan and Robert Lewandowski were teammates at Borussia Dortmund from the 2011–12 to the 2013–14 campaigns, as was previously mentioned.
The pair outscored opponents 190-84 when on the pitch together on 77 occasions, going 50 for 50 and drawing 14 times. In the 2011–12 season, they assisted Dortmund in winning the Bundesliga and DfB Pokal before leading them to the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League final.
Then, in the summer of 2014, Lewandowski left for the opposition Bayern Munich on a free transfer. During his eight years with the Bavarians, he scored 344 goals in 375 games across all competitions.
The Pole won three DfB Pokals, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup, and eight Bundesliga championships. Lewandowski joined Barcelona in the summer of 2017 and scored 33 goals in 46 games across all competitions, aiding the club’s victories in La Liga and the Supercopa de Espana.
In contrast, Gundogan remained with Dortmund until the summer of 2016, when he left with 157 games, 15 goals, and 20 assists. He was the first player to sign for Manchester City during the Pep Guardiola era, and he made 304 appearances for the team, scoring 60 goals and providing 40 assists.
Gundogan led City to a treble in the 2022–23 campaign, claiming the club’s first Champions League trophy, his second FA Cup, and his fifth Premier League championship.
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