Man City confirm Gundogan returns after just one year at Barca four-time English Premier League champions Manchester City announced that German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan will return to the Etihad Stadium, just 14 months after leaving the team to play for Barcelona, having signed a one-year contract with City with the option to extend the contract for a further year.
The 33-year-old was the first player in Pep Guardiola’s era to take over in 2016, playing for the ยูฟ่าเบท team for seven years before moving to Barca on a free transfer in 2023. During his time with the team, he played 304 times, scored 60 goals, and won 14 trophies. After news that Barca were ready to let him go after playing for only one season, Pep immediately backed the team to bring Gundogan back to the team again.
Gundogan said his seven years at City were his happiest on and off the pitch. Everyone knows how much he respects Pep, he is the best manager in the world and working with him every day has made him a better player. Now he can’t wait to pull on the shirt again.
Gundogan said his decision to leave Barca after just one season was due to the club’s financial problems (the club had to offload some players in order to sign new signings like Dani Olmo, as Gundogan is one of the club’s highest-paid players). If his move would help the club, he would feel a little less sorry and would be happy to have been part of Barca for the past 12 months.