Manchester City overhauled its squad at the start of the 2023/24 Premier League season after a treble-winning campaign. Notable players like Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte went to the Saudi Pro League, while youngster Cole Palmer is the favorite for Young Player of the Year at Chelsea.
Though, it’s another departure that has Manchester City regretting signing off on. According to Barcelona news outlet Mundo Deportivo, Man City manager Pep Guardiola misses and regrets selling midfielder Ilkay Gundogan.
The German midfielder was a stalwart for the club in his 188 appearances for the club. He notably scored the Premier League title winner for Man City in the 2021/22 season against Aston Villa completing a remarkable comeback.
Gundogan departed for Barcelona at the start of the season on a free transfer. Man City certainly haven’t lacked midfield options bringing in Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes from Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers respectively, but it’s understandable why Guardiola would miss Gundogan’s intangibles. Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri as a midfield played a massive part in the treble last season.
Man City is currently a point off Arsenal in the Premier League title race with four matches remaining, but the club does have a game in hand over its North London competitor. If Manchester City wins its remaining games, it will win an unprecedented four league titles in a row. Yet another feather in the cap of what’s been the most dominant run in the league’s history.
There were questions entering and throughout the season whether Man City would come into the season with the same hunger. Man City has trailed both Arsenal and Liverpool at different points in the season, but if all goes according to plan those days in second and third place will be a formality. A double is also on the cards with an FA Cup final rematch set with rivals Manchester United. However, City failed to win the Carabao Cup and were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals by Real Madrid.
Fans won’t be disappointed at all if the season ends with a league and cup double, but perhaps Guardiola wonders what could’ve been if Gundogan wasn’t sanctioned to leave.
