It is official: Ilkay Gundogan has agreed to rejoin Manchester City just over a year after leaving the Etihad Stadium for Barcelona.
This comes after the player shockingly agreed to leave the Catalan giants a year after joining them for free.
Gundogan, who joined Barcelona for free after his Manchester City contract expired in 2023, will now leave Spain for free. However, the player has agreed to forego the remaining two years of salary to facilitate this departure.
And according to the Athletic, the 33-year-old has reached an agreement with the reigning Premier League champions to return on a one-year deal with the option for an additional 12 months.
The former Dortmund ace first joined the Cityzens back in 2016 and was Pep Guardiola's first signing at the club when the iconic manager replaced Manuel Pellegrini. The German won five Premier League titles during those seven years and captained the club to the treble before departing in the summer of 2023.
While Gundogan was reportedly not part of Hansi Flick's plans at Barcelona, his departure is widely accepted to be due to financial — and not sporting — reasons.
The midfielder was one of the club's highest earners and with the Blaugrana struggling to register summer signing Dani Olmo, this move should help the Spanish giants balance their books better while making space for the newly-signed Spaniard.
Ilkay, who just announced his retirement from the German national team, should be a great addition at the Etihad Stadium. Not only would he bolster the lineup, having been one of the best midfielders in the Premier League during his first stint, but he would offer much-needed cover for Rodri.
The former Dortmund ace was both a world-class partner for Rodri and a sufficient deputy to the Spanish holding midfielder.
