Gundogan at the centre of Barça’s sporting and financial problems

He FC Barcelona has lived in a time in which his midfield was their backbone, their flagship, their greatest treasure. The ‘baton’ for the Blaugrana has been carried by such outstanding names as Xavi Hernández, Sergio Busquets, Andrés Iniesta and Iván Rakitic and their talent has translated into good play and titles.

However, in recent years it is the position that, possibly, most headaches has given the blue and red club not only in the deportivoas has happened with Sergio Busquets from his last years as a player until his departure, but also economicas with the high salary of players like Frenkie De Jong. Barça, in fact, seems obliged to take some measures. decisions more for economic health than for sporting reasonsand the midfield will be affected if Gundogan is the one who leaves if his return to Manchester is confirmed.

A midfield dulled by injuries, irreplaceable gaps and rising salaries

The German was one of the best Barça players last year. He arrived at City as the legend he was at 33 years old and was the top assistant of team within an orphaned midfield after Busquets’ departure, and shut down by injuries to Pedri and GaviBut it was not enough. A salary on the rise and his age (he will turn 34 in October) have finished him off pointing as one of the “easy” solutions to, among other things, make room for the wage bill and be able to sign new players (like Dani Olmo). Gundogan would return to his former home, Manchester, in a free and mutually agreed operation that has barely lasted a couple of days and in which will release his 18 million salary.

The Barcelona club is still ‘affected’ by the famous legacy of Bartomeu and those upward renewals of several players a week before resigning as president of the club. This was the case of In Stegennow untouchable, Gerard Piquewho stepped aside to retire that same season, and Clement Lenglet and Frenkie de Jongtwo players that Barça is looking to get rid of in order to solve two problems at the same time: economic and sporting.

The French centre-back seems more willing to find a solution, but the Dutch midfielder remains tied to the club and raising resentment among fans due to his ‘few nights of glory’ and his high salary (37.5 million). De Jong has not turned out to be the player that was expected, with brief notable appearances in five seasons where he has also suffered long injuries.

He Busquets case It is more sporting than economic. In his last years it was already clear that the day Sergio left the club he would leave a unsustainable gap on the field. That’s why his career was lengthened until the situation became unsustainable. He saw himself in his first season without him, where players were passing through that position until a Christensen as pivot emergency seemed to be the most appropriate option.

And in the end… La Masia

Between injuries, signing problems and positional debates, they have found the answer two childrenone 17 years old and the other 20: Marc Bernal and Marc Casadó. The two headlines for Hansi Flick in the first league match against the Valencia. Without Gundogan, De Jong, or Gavi, who were injured on the first day, and with Pedri injured, Bernal and Casadó took control of the midfield ‘at zero cost’, showing that La Masía will always be there. It already happened with the departure of Ousmane Dembele in one of Xavi’s favourite positions, which was followed by the emergence of the great talent of Lamine Yamal.

Christensen was able to return to his position as centre-back, so only time and the physical condition of the two players will determine how long they will remain defending the great Barça bastion through which all of FC Barcelona’s joys and titles have passed in recent decades.