🏆 Ballon d'OneFootball: Big summer signing in 18th ... | OneFootball

Welcome to the fourth annual edition of the Ballon d’OneFootball as we continue our countdown of the top 25 players in the world. Here’s an explainer how we decided on a top 25.

Here’s the list so far.

And today we have …

18th: İlkay Gündoğan, Manchester City/Barcelona and Germany

(New entry)

Has there been a more clutch player in European football this year than İlkay Gündoğan?

The man signed by Barcelona on a free transfer this week has been a model of consistency in terms of his overall performance this term, and then added goals just when his side needed them most.

May was always set to be a monumental month for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side. And with Erling Haaland’s phenomenal rate of goalscoring letting up slightly, City needed a man to come into his own.

Step forward Gündoğan.

The 32-year-old proved his mettle with an outstanding double at home to Leeds in a 2-1 win and then repeated the trick a week later at Everton.

Gündoğan opened the scoring that day at Goodison Park with, arguably, the goal of the season.

An impish, technically perfect backwards volley that silenced those in the ground and stunned everyone watching at home.

Another goal and an assist that afternoon took City four points clear at the top of the Premier League and set them on their way to a third-straight title.

Gündoğan didn’t just save his goals for the Premier League, though.

As the sun blasted down at Wembley earlier this month, nobody in attendance knew that just a few seconds after kick off they were about to witness history.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag had surely been planning all week prior to the FA Cup final about how to stop a City side coming into their own.

It took all of 12 seconds for that planned to be dismantled.

Gündoğan latched on to a loose second ball, 25 yards from David De Gea’s goal, and fired in a wonderful volley.

Cue disbelief on the pitch and in the stands with the veteran midfielder scoring the fastest ever goal in an FA Cup final.

Gündoğan completed a Man of the Match performance in the second half by doubling his tally with a more speculative effort from outside the area.

City won the final 2-1, a week later lifted the Champions League trophy — Gündoğan finally lifting the trophy after two defeats in finals — and became only the second English side to win the Treble.

In large part, because of their brilliant, clutch German.

Click here for every player named so far and their profiles.