August 23, (THEWILL) – Manchester City have brought back their former captain Ilkay Gundogan on a one-year contract. The 33-year-old German midfielder left City for Barcelona in 2023 after leading the team to a treble-winning season.
Gundogan won 14 major trophies with City, including five English Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League. Despite having two years left on his Barcelona contract, the Spanish club allowed him to leave. During his single season at Barcelona, Gundogan made 51 appearances and helped the team finish second in La Liga.
The German player’s return comes at a good time for City, who recently sold Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid and lost Oscar Bobb to a leg injury. Gundogan first joined City from Borussia Dortmund in 2016 and scored 60 goals in 304 appearances for the club. He famously scored both goals in City’s 2-1 victory over Manchester United in the 2023 FA Cup final.
Gundogan said: “My seven years at Manchester City were a time of pure contentment 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 enjoyed amazing success. It was an exceptional period in my life. To have the opportunity to return here means so much.”
The midfielder recently retired from international football after 82 appearances for Germany, including captaining the team at Euro 2024. His return to Manchester City will strengthen the squad as they continue to compete for top honours in English and European football. Gundogan might play in Saturday’s match against Ipswich Town at the Etihad Stadium.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
