Julius Okorie
Ilkay Gundogan has completed return to the Etihad from Barcelona, just one season after leaving leaving the EPL reigning champions.
Gundogan left Nou Camp on a free transfer, describing his second ‘missionary journey’ to Etihad as home coming.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe German international has signed a one-year deal with the Cityzens, with the option to extend his stay by a further season.
Man City confirmed Friday, that the returning midfielder will wear the No 19 shirt, with Mateo Kovacic, having taken his previous squad No 8.
Gundogan revealed that he had found a new appreciation for Manchester City during his year away in Barcelona after re-signing from the Premier League champions.
‘When you leave this place, you spend a year away and you then start to appreciate the place even more,’ Gundogan said. ‘You realise what you had, how amazing the time was and how big the club is.
‘The best club in the world and I think in terms of football – getting back onto that level and coming back a year later is an incredible feeling. I am very pleased, very happy and I feel privileged to share the dressing room again with these amazing players.
‘The package that you get here right now today, you can’t find it anywhere else and that made it very easy for me to come back.’
Barcelona had made it clear that star players had to find new clubs and City moved quickly to secure the central midfielder.
Gundogan has remained in touch with Pep Guardiola and City’s players since departing and met back up with them before a pre-season friendly in Orlando last month.
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‘Having that opportunity to meet was amazing,’ he added. ‘Back then it wasn’t even a topic to come back and re-join. Everything has happened quite quickly in the last few days, so I wasn’t thinking about it back then. Maybe that made it even more special and fulfilling for me.
‘I have friends in Manchester; a lot of people in the last couple of days messaged me and asked me if the rumours were true. There are a lot of people in Manchester that I know and I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone again.
He marks City’s second signing of the summer following the arrival of Savinho from Troyes in a £21m transfer.
Gundogan’s stay with Manchester City saw him score 44 goals in 188 appearances between 2016 and 2023.
The 33 year old made 38 appearances during his short sojourn at Barcelona with five goals to his credit.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
