Ilkay Gundogan issues hard-hitting truth about Premier League football after Barcelona experience | OneFootball

Manchester City’s legendary midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has issued his verdict on the current state of affairs in the Premier League following his spell in La Liga.

The veteran midfielder returned to the English game after spending a year at FC Barcelona off the back of Manchester City’s historic Treble-winning season of 2022/23, joining the La Liga side on a free transfer after the expiration of his Etihad Stadium contract.

However, financial complications at the Catalan giants forced an assessment of their squad last summer, with Gundogan identified as a name surplus to requirements with a free exit sanctioned in order to free-up his salary for other player registrations.

Manchester City barely hesitated to move swiftly and finalise a return for Gundogan to his former home, agreeing a one-year deal with an automatic 12-month extension based on a certain number of appearances – which has since been triggered.

And recently speaking to Manchester City’s official club website, the former Germany international midfielder was quizzed on whether the standard of the Premier League and its clubs has increased.

“100 per cent in my experience,” the 34-year-old said. “Maybe it’s easier to say because I went abroad for a year and came back – maybe it’s clearer for me.”

The former Barcelona midfielder continued, “If you just look at the standards that are demanded, it feels like everyone can beat everyone in the league right now. It sums up how good the Premier League has become.

“Of course, with all the respect to the other leagues, the Premier League is by far the best league in Europe and in the world.”

Despite his age and perceived lack of legs, Gundogan was a core component of the Barcelona side of last season, amassing 51 appearances across all competitions whilst providing five goals and 14 assists.

While enduring a difficult re-start at Manchester City earlier this season, Pep Guardiola has since praised his former club captain for the level of performances put in, believing that the German is returning to his standards set in previous campaigns of his Etihad career.