It was the most eloquent of sales pitches.
Pep Guardiola is a connoisseur of classy midfielders, a man who has won the Champions League as player and manager, who united the most influential, most hypnotically brilliant group of passers at Barcelona and who took his vision of perpetual possession with an acute appreciation of angles and space to Bayern Munich. The most fashionable, most successful manager of his generation duly approached Ilkay Gundogan.
"He just told me that he needs a player like me as a central midfielder," the German said. Little wonder he left Borussia Dortmund for Manchester City.
Gundogan is his first, and perhaps, defining, signing, a one-man manifestation of the way Guardiola remodels the City midfield after his arrival in England.
More Manchester City
• Kelechi Iheanacho: 'I will get a chance' with Pep Guardiola
• In pictures: Pep Guardiola, Ilkay Gundogan and Kelechi Iheanacho on display
The qualities Gundogan has are the ones Guardiola may require.
“I like to have the ball, to have the possession and to play passes, to create chances for my teammates,” said the 25-year-old, outlining the attributes Yaya Toure long brought. “That is what makes me strong. I hope those are things that we need here.”
First City require a fit Gundogan. Injuries have pockmarked his career, limiting him to three appearances in 2013/14. A knee problem means he is sidelined now. It is an indication of Guardiola’s faith in him that City signed him anyway.
“I hope to be ready as soon as possible,” he said. “It seems the end of August or September.”
His recovery is one of several immediate aims. His English is already excellent. The next stage of settling in involves finding a city-centre apartment. He is approaching the change of scenery with relish.
“It was time for me to have a new adventure and I want to prove myself in a new country, in a new league and at a new club,” he explained.
He was a Bundesliga winner and a Champions League finalist with Dortmund, where his excellence attracted the attention of Manchester United; now former suitors are rivals.
“Manchester seems a big fight in the next year,” Gundogan said.
The region contains another friend turned enemy. Jurgen Klopp was manager and mentor. Now he is Liverpool manager.
“I spoke to him on the phone in the last week and maybe I will meet him to have dinner,” said Gundogan.
The 45-year-old, whose coaching team has been bolstered with addition of the former Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta, was formally unveiled at the Cityzens Live weekend at the Etihad Campus in front of some 5,000 fans. The double Champions League winner met with a rapturous reception. He was interviewed by Oasis guitarist, and City diehard, Noel Gallagher, and fielded questions from supporters.
He brought them bad, if predictable tidings with the news that Lionel Messi will not be following him to Manchester.
“I am sorry Messi has to stay in Barcelona for the rest of his career,” he said.
Instead he told his players that, whatever their past deeds, they have to prove themselves again while suggesting his methods will involve the carrot and the stick.
“I know their quality but they have to show me and show the fans again,” he said. “The past is the past. I have to hug them and kick their [backside].”
Above all, he called for unselfishness, channelling John F Kennedy’s famous message of “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”.
Guardiola’s interpretation was: “I don’t want the guys to think about what the club can do for them.”
Think, instead, of what they can do for City. Guardiola’s City.
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
