Ilkay Gundogan has secured a £7.7million insurance policy should Barcelona’s financial troubles stop him from playing this season.
The former Manchester City captain has joined the LaLiga giants on a free transfer after capturing a European treble in his final year at the Etihad.
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In an end of season performance for the ages, the German midfielder was of utmost importance as he made sure his seven-year stint at the club ended in ultimate glory with his first Champions League win.
Despite Pep Guardiola and his players pleading for Gundogan to stay, he instead opted to move to a footballing giant in Barcelona, with the team fresh off of winning the league and looking to shine once again in Europe.
That is despite the club’s public financial struggles, which has seen regular battles with the Spanish league over the registration of players under their spending cap.
The same league-imposed rules saw Lionel Messi depart the club in 2021 as a contract renewal couldn’t be pushed through, and last summer they struggled to get a number of new signings registered.
Jules Kounde was unable to join the squad until after the start of the 2022/23 campaign, with president Joan Laporta having to sell off assets to free room for new signings.
And now Gundogan has been ensured he won’t be involved in any similar issues, securing his first year of wages should the club be unable to register him.
He could also leave for free should that unlikely scenario come to fruition, with The Athletic reporting the condition was part of Barca’s pitch to get the deal done.
The Catalan side are currently over LaLiga’s spending cap limit ahead of the new season on August 12, but are so confident of freeing space for Gundogan’s registration that they’re willing to pay his first year’s wages and allow him to depart for nothing.
Signing a two year deal with an option of a third, Gundogan is set to earn £7.7m-per-season, a year of which he would receive in full if financial struggles bar him from registering.
