Ilkay Gündogan left Manchester City as a legend and could still return before the transfer window closes – but how well do fans really know him?
Gundogan, 33, moved to Barcelona on a free transfer last year, ending a hugely successful seven-year career in Manchester in which he won five Premier League titles, four League Cups, two FA Cups and the Champions League. Despite being a regular in the Catalan club’s squad last season, reports suggest he may move again after realising he does not fit into Barca boss Hansi Flick’s plans, the Mirror reports.
City are now considering bringing the player back before the transfer window closes on August 30. With the possibility of one of the club’s best signings returning to the Etihad Stadium, we look at Gundogan’s staggering net worth, his marital status and his true feelings about working with Pep Guardiola.
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Assets
Gundogan is believed to have amassed an impressive £22 million during his tenure at City. The midfielder started on a weekly salary of £140,000 and his earnings rose rapidly until he was eventually earning £160,000 per week.
Since his transfer to Barcelona, the former Borussia Dortmund star reportedly earns around €15 million a year (approximately £13 million), making him the club’s third highest-earning player behind Frenkie De Jong and Robert Lewandowski. The German footballer also has a lucrative endorsement deal with Adidas, which significantly increases his wealth.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, his fortune is estimated at just under £35 million.
His wife Sara
Gundogan is married to Sara Arfaoui. The couple tied the knot in 2022, but Sara struggled to win over Manchester City fans after making some critical comments about Manchester’s culinary scene.
In October 2022, the 29-year-old expressed her disappointment at not being able to find a “good restaurant” in Manchester, writing on Instagram: “Can’t find a proper Italian restaurant or good sushi or just fresh food… everything frozen. The restaurants here are just focused on making money off drinks and booze, like nightclubs, not quality food. Maybe in London, but nothing in Manchester. I’m sorry.”
However, Sara’s opinion of Manchester seems to have improved over time. After moving to Barcelona following Gündogan’s transfer, she claimed that she had grown fond of the city.
In an interview with Mail Sport, she said: “When I was in Manchester, my whole life revolved around football. My friends were footballers, the people I met through my husband, and outside of that I had nothing that was my world. And I’m a people person. So it took a while, but I made friends and it was really nice.”
She added: “After I made friends, I was really happy. I started to enjoy everything and somehow I miss Manchester now.” However, it remains a mystery whether Sara’s fondness for Manchester will be enough to bring the couple back together.
Thoughts on Pep Guardiola
Gündogan describes his time under City manager Guardiola as the most formative years of his football career. The midfielder played a crucial role in City’s extraordinary successes and spoke openly about the influence the Spanish coach had on him.
In an interview with ESPN in July 2023, Gündogan said: “Before I came to Man City, I thought I knew football. I was 25 or 26 years old and had seen a lot. I had played in a Champions League final. But now that I’m standing here, after seven years at Pep’s school, I would say I knew nothing about football before. His influence on the team and on me personally was immense.”
Gundogan described his last season at City as a “dreamland” but felt it was the right time for a new chapter, expressing a desire to “challenge” himself and step out of his “comfort zone”.
If the two were to reunite in Manchester soon, it would not necessarily be for very long, as Guardiola’s contract expires at the end of the 2024/25 season.
