Gündogan returns to Manchester City! To have the opportunity to come back means a lot to me, he said. Guardiola? The best coach in the world

It’s officially confirmed. Ilkay Gündogan joined Barcelona only a year ago, but recently expressed his wish to leave the club. The German midfielder has returned to Manchester City, where he had just left for Catalonia.

• Ilkay Gündogan has officially returned to Manchester City
• The German midfielder has signed a one-year contract with the English champions
• Gündogan is looking forward to working with Pep Guardiola

Ilkay Gündogan has become a legend and icon of Manchester City over time. However, he left the English big club last July and eventually agreed to a contract in a competition where he had never worked before.

The German international signed a contract with Barcelona, which according to Transfermarkt was still valid until the end of June 2026.

However, before Barcelona’s first league game against Valencia (2: 1), Spanish media reported that Gündogan had reportedly expressed his wish to leave the Catalan big club. He did not take part in the first game of the new LaLiga season due to injury.

Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano already reported a few days ago that the Gelsenkirchen native is heading back to Manchester City.

And the English champion confirmed it on Friday. Gündogan is returning to Manchester after a year, where he has signed a one-year contract for the time being. Citizens paid Barcelona nothing for him, the Catalan giant’s management let him go for free.

Gündogan on his return to Manchester City

“Seven years at Manchester City was a period of complete satisfaction for me, both on and off the pitch. I grew as a person and a player, developed a special relationship with the City fans and experienced amazing success. It was an extraordinary period of my life. To be able to come back here means a lot to me,” said the 33-year-old midfielder.

Gündogan also spoke about how he is looking forward to working with coach Pep Guardiola again. It was under him that he became German Footballer of the Year (2023), winning the Premier League five times, the FA Cup twice and, most notably, the Champions League in 2022/23.

“Everyone knows how much respect I have for Pep – he is the best manager in the world and working with him every day will make you a better player. You feel constantly challenged, which is exactly what you want for any professional. I can’t wait to work with him again,” looks forward to the new Manchester City acquisition.

Source: Manchester City, Transfermarkt, X