The agreement between Manchester City and Ilkay Gündoğan is total. Gundogan, 33 will be rejoining City on a one-year contract plus an additional year as an option to extend it.
The German only joined Barca last year on a free following the end of his City contract in June 2023.
Sportsbuddy recently reported that the German handed a transfer request to leave the Spanish club.
Gundogan’s Return To Manchester City
Gundogan is waiving payment from the two years remaining on his deal at Barcelona to enable a return in Manchester.
His third year at Barcelona was triggered after he featured in more than 60% of their games last season.
But following the arrival of new head coach Hansi Flick, who replaced Xavi earlier in the summer, Gundogan was told that he would not feature under Flick.
According to The Athletic this discussion alerted Pep Guardiola and the City hierarchy, who swiftly signed off Gundogan’s return.
In the last campaign, the midfielder emerged as a vocal critic of his teammates once again.
This follows his public disapproval after a La Liga defeat to Real Madrid back in October. On that occasion, Gundogan expressed frustration with players appearing unbothered by the loss.
Furthermore, the midfielder pointed fingers at Araujo in their painful exit of the Champions league at the hands of PSG as reported by Sportsbuddy.
Gundogan’s Legacy and City’s Quiet Summer
His comeback at City is seen as a no-brainer, after his successful stint with the Citizens.
The former Dortmund midfielder played 188 times for Manchester City in his first stint, picking up five Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League.
This summer has been a more muted affair for Manchester City, with only Brazil international Savinho arriving at the club, alongside Julian Alvarez leaving to join Atletico Madrid.
After a 2-0 win over Chelsea on the opening weekend, Manchester City face Ipswich Town in their second Premier League outing this Saturday.
Gundogan confirmed his international retirement with Germany following an unsuccessful EURO 2024 outing.
