Barcelona officially register Ilkay Gundogan ahead of La Liga opener

Barcelona have successfully registered new signing Ilkay Gundogan with La Liga after ongoing financial difficulties had initially delayed it following the German's arrival in July.

The 32-year-old midfielder joined the club on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract with former side Manchester City, whom he captained to Champions League glory last season.

Initially, his registration had been held up, alongside several other new signings and contract renewals, due to the financial issues that have dogged Barcelona for the last few seasons.

Gundogan's contract included a clause that would allow him to terminate his deal had the club been unable to register him with La Liga in time for this weekend's season opener away at Getafe.

As 90min revealed last week, Barcelona were not concerned about losing Gundogan because of that. Ousmane Dembele's departure to Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday helped raise capital, while the club have also been working on selling off 16% of Barca Studios to bring in further investment in what seems to be a continuation of the 'economic levers' policy that dominated last season.

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The club was confident of securing Gundogan's registration in time and they were right to be.
La Liga has officially registered his contract, a development verified by the league's official website. Now a full member of the squad, he has been handed the number 22 shirt.

"Even though I'm older, I'm prepared for the challenge and I still have a lot to prove," said Gundogan upon his signing back in July. "[Pep] Guardiola and Xavi are very similar. I felt a connection with Xavi from the first moment we talked. When I spoke to him, I knew they [Barcelona] were on the right track.

"It's an incredible team and an opportunity to be able to play in a different league and in a different country. We will try to fight for the Champions League title. It is a responsibility to wear this shirt, and I will try to give my best to win as many titles as possible. I come with more experience because my life and my career have not been easy, and I think my experience can help a lot."

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