Barcelona midfielder Ilkay Gundogan made his first statements on his perception of FC Barcelona on Monday, several weeks after joining the club on a free transfer with a three-year contract.

Gundogan left Manchester City after winning the treble last season as the citizens went ahead to win the Premier League title, UEFA Champions League for the first time, and the FA Cup.

The German international played a huge part in the race to the treble, scoring some important goals in the final 11 games of the season, but rather than stay at the Etihad Stadium despite Pep Guardiola’s keen interest in keeping the German midfielder at the club, he moved to Barcelona on a free transfer signing a three-year deal.

In his interview, the midfielder compared Barcelona manager Xavi and former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola in terms of style, revealing that he felt a connection.

“The style is very similar to what I played at City; Guardiola and Xavi are very similar. I felt a connection with Xavi from the first moment we talked. When I spoke to him, I knew they [Barcelona] were on the right track. It’s an incredible team and an opportunity to be able to play in a different league and in a different country. We will try to fight for the Champions League title. It is a responsibility to wear this shirt, and I will try to give my best to win as many titles as possible.” Gundogan said.

Barcelona continues to rebuild their squad with young players who Gundogan is expected to help develop young midfielders in the team. This is not far-fetched, as Gundogan was the U16 team coach at Manchester City.

The player also thinks his experience can help the very talented young group of players who do better things than he does.

Daniel Ademiju Idowu