Barcelona’s Ilkay Gündogan to return to Manchester City on free transfer

Having come to see that Barcelona did not want him to continue at the Camp Nou, Gündogan instigated contact with Pep Guardiola, whom he played under for seven years at City.

Wed, 21 Aug, 2024 - 16:54

Sid Lowe

Ilkay Gündogan will return to Manchester City on a free transfer, 12 months after leaving the club for Barcelona. The 33-year-old, captain when City won the treble in 2023, will join on an initial one-year deal with an option for a second.

Having come to see that Barcelona did not want him to continue at the Camp Nou, Gündogan instigated contact with Pep Guardiola, whom he played under for seven years at City, and the basis of an agreement was reached swiftly. Gündogan has waived the remaining two years of his salary in Catalonia.