The 2022/23 La Liga season ends with Real Valladolid joining Elche and Espanyol relegated to the Segunda Division. Meanwhile, Barcelona finished the season with a 1-2 loss to Celta Vigo, while Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid claimed second and third place respectively.
However, the top three teams Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid make up the bulk of the La Liga team of the year, with Real Sociedad stars also featuring in the team of the season.
Real Madrid, Barcelona and 2 other clubs lead the La Liga Best XI for the season 2022-23
Train:
4-2-4
*Goalie:
- Marc-André ter Stegen
Crew:
FC Barcelona, league matches:
36 games, Clean sheet:
25
* Line of defense:
- Leave behind:
Balde (Barcelona), central defender:
- Araujo (Barcelona), Midfielder:
- Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Right-back:
Kounde (Barcelona)
* Midfielder:
- De Jong (Barcelona) and Marino (Real Sociedad)
* Frontline:
- Left winger Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid), Lewandowski (Barcelona) Strike, Bezema (Real Madrid) Strike and Griezmann (Atletico Madrid) Right winger.
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Former Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker, who is currently the club's academy director, has provided inside information about their pursuit of Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan.
The German is set to score an incredible hat-trick for City, as they beat Inter in the Champions League final on Saturday night to add Europe's iconic trophy to their Premier League and FA victory Their Cup. Gundogan played a key role in City's success, scoring key goals in the latter stages of the Prem and FA Cup.
The midfielder is out of contract at the end of June when things stand still and faces a big decision. Pep Guardiola wants him to stay at City and help the club defend all three titles, but he could choose to leave Etihad for a new challenge. After winning the Champions League in Türkiye, Gundogan reiterated that he has yet to make a final decision on his future.
Barcelona are trying to come up with a plan to add him to their wage bill, which is already quite full. Borussia Dortmund have signaled a desire to bring him back to the Bundesliga, while Arsenal have offered him the option of staying in England.
There have been rumors that Barca have wooed Gundogan by reaching a full agreement with him on personal terms. But neither side has confirmed such a deal is in place, giving hope to City, Dortmund and Arsenal. Now maybe Arsenal will win the race for the 32-year-old. Mertesacker was covered by ZDF about the Champions League final in Germany. When asked about Gundogan, Mertesacker explained how winning at UCL can make players say "ok, mission accomplished [to the City]" (via Metro).
The coach added:
“I think the clubs are lining up.
Club director says Arsenal have contacted Ilkay Gundogan
“Because [Mikel] Arteta knows him and we probably haven't cut off contact yet, we're in an advantageous position. "I think he'll let it all go first and then pick one of the four clubs."
Interestingly, Mertesacker did indeed confirm Arsenal's interest in Gundogan. It doesn't happen too often when a player's future remains undecided.
Perhaps Arsenal's interest started with Arteta, who worked with Gundogan when he was assistant to Pep Guardiola at City. Now, it looks like Arteta could give Guardiola a serious headache by trapping one of his most important stars.
Arsenal's priority signing in midfield remains Declan Rice, while they are also interested in Moises Caicedo from Brighton. The north London side have sidelined Bayern in the hunt for Rice, although Chelsea will have stiff competition with Caicedo. Perhaps Arsenal could prioritize Gundogan over Caicedo if the former proved to be much easier to sign.
Given Gundogan's age, he won't be the long-term solution to their midfield needs. But the serial winner could improve Arsenal's midfield for a few seasons, giving club leaders plenty of time to find a younger successor.
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