Man City fans could not believe their luck last month when the Premier League champions were able to sign former captain Ilkay Gundogan for free and Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed why the Catalan outfit allowed this to happen.

Having spent seven years at the Etihad Stadium between 2016 and 2023 the midfielder rejoined the Manchester club on a one-year contract plus the option of a further year, reports Sky Sports.

This came after spending only one year away from Man City as Gundogan wanted to experience what it would be like to play for Barcelona. The 33-year-old did so successfully but following the signing of Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig this summer, the La Liga giants needed to shift the German's wages in order to help them register the Euro 2024 winner.

Barcelona still have major financial issues but this was not the reason for allowing Gundogan to leave for free, states the Catalan team's president Joan Laporta.

"It has been a decision solely and exclusively for sporting reasons," the 62-year-old said via Fabrizio Romano. "Following the signing of Dani Olmo, the role of Gundogan was not clear, because they shared a very similar position."

Ilkay Gundogan rejoined Manchester City from Barcelona on a free transfer

Getting the midfielder's salary off the books helped the La Liga giants register Olmo and that was the main objective behind their decision.

Laporta can try and play down Barca's financial issues but they still remain three years on from the 63-year-old being re-elected as president of the Spanish club. The Spaniard can pretend that everything is rosy in the garden and although things are better, major problems still remain.