“He seems like a very down to earth guy” – Ter Stegen admits he wants to help new Barcelona signing settle down smoothly

Owing to their never-ending financial woes, Barcelona have only been able to make three summer signings so far. The Catalan giants sanctioned the arrivals of Ilkay Gundogan, Inigo Martinez, and La Masia graduate Oriol Romeu, with the former two coming on free transfers.

While Martinez is yet to make an appearance for his new club, Gundogan and Romeu seem to be gelling well with the first team. The midfield duo played a crucial role in consecutive wins over Real Madrid, AC Milan, and Tottenham Hotspur this pre-season.

Several factors, including Xavi's sublime tactics and the warm atmosphere at the Spanish club, would be responsible for the smooth integration of the latest signings. Nevertheless, nothing could beat the supportive welcome that the staff, as well as the players, have imparted towards the newcomers.

First-choice goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has been one of the most encouraging figures, publicly expressing praise towards his German compatriot, Ilkay Gundogan. Talking about the ex-Manchester City midfielder, ter Stegen stated:

"Gündogan? He seems like a very down-to-earth guy and he just won the Champions League. He has a lot of experience to offer and my job is to help him settle in as smoothly as possible."

The German shot-stopper was recently registered as one of the club captains alongside Frenkie de Jong, Ronald Araujo, and veteran midfielder Sergi Roberto. With Roberto expected to play more of a sub-part role in the upcoming season, ter Stegen will most probably lead his side in the majority of the matches.

Gundogan joined Barcelona after a historic treble-winning season with the Cityzens. With the departure of Catalan legend Sergio Busquets after 15 trophy-laden seasons with the first team, the Blaugrana did not waste time in enlisting the versatile midfielder for free.

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Barcelona will be needing more signings in days to come

In a shocking state of affairs, it was revealed that Ousmane Dembele will be joining Paris Saint-Germain for a nominal fee of €50m. While an official statement regarding the transfer is yet to be issued by either club, it was all but confirmed by the Blaugrana's sporting director Mateu Alemany.

Following this development, Barcelona have been linked with some high-profile players, such as Bernando Silva and Joao Cancelo. While the Portuguese midfielder can prove to be an expensive option, Cancelo's signing looks much more realistic.

Dembele's transfer could be a boon for the club's youngsters, with Abde Ezzalzouli and Lamine Yamal putting in some excellent performances in the pre-season.

Barcelona will kick off the 2023-24 season on Sunday, with an away La Liga fixture against Getafe.