Man City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed he broke his own transfer rule to re-sign Ilkay Gundogan, citing the midfielder’s exceptional mentality and competitiveness.
Guardiola has a policy of not signing players over a certain age but made an exception for 33-year-old Gundogan, who returns to City 14 months after leaving for Barcelona.
Gundogan’s desire to return to City, combined with his impressive performances at Barcelona, convinced Guardiola to flex his reign.
“As a manager, I’m not a big fan of re-signing players at this age,” Guardiola initially said.
“But I know him well and his mentality is fine. He is a great competitor”, concluded the City coach.
Gundogan, who scored five goals and contributed 13 assists for Barcelona last season, has already set his sights on winning a historic fifth successive title with City. /Football Match Up/
