Manchester City have officially re-signed Ilkay Gundogan from Barcelona on a one-year contract, pending international clearance.
The German midfielder returns to the Etihad after a successful season in La Liga and is set to bolster City’s squad as they aim for a fifth consecutive Premier League title.
Gundogan initially left City in June 2023, just 16 days after captaining the team to a historic Treble with a victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League final.
During his first stint at City, Gundogan made 304 appearances, scored 60 goals, and collected an impressive 14 major trophies, including five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups, two Community Shields, and one Champions League.
After a productive year at Barcelona, where he played 51 matches across all competitions and helped the club finish second in La Liga, the 33-year-old midfielder is thrilled to return to Manchester.
“I couldn’t be happier to be back at City,” Gundogan said upon his return.
Gundogan was Pep Guardiola’s first signing for City back in 2016 when he joined from Borussia Dortmund at 25 years old.
Known as one of Europe’s finest technical midfielders, he quickly became a key figure in City’s unprecedented success under Guardiola.
His final two games for City before his move to Barcelona were nothing short of legendary: he scored twice in the FA Cup final against Manchester United and led the team to a 1-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League final, completing City’s first-ever Treble.
Perhaps Gundogan’s most iconic moment came in the final game of the 2021/22 Premier League season. Trailing 2-0 against Aston Villa, his dramatic late brace secured a 3-2 comeback win, clinching the Premier League
