Pep Guardiola marked his arrival at Manchester City with the signing of German midfielder Ilkay Gündoğan.
The former Dortmund player was on Manchester United’s wishlist only a year ago, but due to a series of injuries the Red Devils were unable to make a solid move for him.
This season was a relatively injury-free one for Gündoğan, and he performed his duties for Dortmund in an exceptional manner.
The signing of the 25-year-old midfielder was not met with any ambivalence on the part of the Man City fans as they’re quite keen on seeing what a player of his tremendous qualities can do in the Premier League.
The Etihad Stadium officially announced the deal for Gündoğan on Thursday morning without revealing the financial details, but the fee for a four-year deal is reported to be in the region of 20 million pounds.
What Will Gündoğan Bring to the Premier League?
Gündoğan is the type of midfielder that can dictate the tempo of the game with his precise and accurate passing ability as he plays with the utmost aplomb. The German professional is always ready to do his defensive duties as well as launch attacking moves where possible.
Gündoğan made 22 Bundesliga appearances in the 2015-16 season under manager Thomas Tuchel and came on as a substitute on three occasions (25 apps in total). He managed just one goal and three assists in his 25 appearances which are a fair return considering his role in the team.
Gündoğan often featured as a central midfielder for Dortmund, but he also played 10 Bundesliga games in a slightly deeper defensive role.
His 87.8 percent pass completion rate is a testament to his vision and immense passing ability, which would be extremely useful in the Premier League considering the tempo football EPL teams play in.
He’s a very similar player to Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic, and although he doesn’t pose much of a goal scoring threat going forward, he makes a lot of contributions to his team’s overall performance.
Gündoğan’s injury proneness was detrimental to his early years as a Bundesliga player. The injury kept him out of the team for long periods.
Gündoğan missed more than 80 Bundesliga games with Dortmund due to injury, but judging by his exploits in Der BVB’s League campaign, he looks to be fit and rearing for Premier League action with City.
How GüNdoğan’S Arrival Reflects on City’S Tactical Approach
Gündoğan plays a very similar role as Yaya Toure, and his recent acquisition might mean that Toure will become somewhat of a bit-part player in the Guardiola era, or better yet, the Ivory Coast International might opt for a move out of City.
Toure is obviously more prolific than Gündoğan as he has the ability to crack off powerful shots from distance, but his recent lackadaisical suggests that he’s not up to the task regarding keeping City’s midfield line stable.
Guardiola will probably opt for a 4-2-3-1 system with Sergio Aguero leading the attack, or Bony making a few cameos in-between fixtures.
Depending on who else Guardiola signs, Gündoğan will most likely be fielded alongside Fabian Delph or David Silva in the middle of the pitch. However, if Yaya Toure can earn his place in the team, it could be the Ivorian and Gundogan in the middle of the park for City, while Silva takes centre stage in the number 10 role.
Gündoğan might just be the first of many to come as Guardiola will be keen on transforming the City squad into title contenders.