An insight into the battle which awaits a leading member of the midfield ranks at La Liga giants Barcelona to secure a starting berth under new head coach Hansi Flick has this weekend been forthcoming.
The info comes courtesy of Diario Sport, and points towards İlkay Gündoğan as the player in question.
Gündoğan, for his part, is of course fresh off a stellar debut campaign in Barcelona’s colours.
After linking up with Xavi’s troops on a free transfer from Manchester City, the German international quickly went on to establish himself as an integral member of the Blaugrana’s midfield ranks.
In fact, many would no doubt argue that, across the length of the campaign, Gündoğan stood as Barca’s most consistent performer.
All told, the 33-year-old racked up a hefty 51 appearances across all competitions, chipping in with five goals and a team-leading 14 assists along the way.
And yet, as alluded to above, if the latest word stemming from the media this weekend is anything to go by, then such excellence in the final third will not, in itself, be enough to guarantee Gündoğan a starting berth in 2024/25.
As per the aforementioned Sport, incoming Barcelona boss Hansi Flick will place a heavy emphasis on the defensive output contributed by his midfield stars.
The German tactician’s style of play is based around high pressing across the pitch, requiring, for the most part, athletic and mobile players.
With as much not exactly Gündoğan’s strong suit, it is therefore confirmed that:
‘Gündoğan’s quality in the final third of the field does not assure him anything in the new project. If he really wants to keep his place, he will have to earn it.’
Conor Laird | GSFN
