Less than a year after departing from the Etihad Stadium, Gundogan is set to return. The 33-year-old will sign a one-year contract with Manchester City, with an option for an additional year, as reported by The Athletic. To facilitate the move, the former Germany international will waive the last two years of his salary owed by Barcelona.
Last season, Gundogan featured in nearly 50 games for Barcelona across all competitions and was named to the La Liga Team of the Season. However, with a new head coach at Camp Nou, Gundogan was informed that he was not part of Hansi Flick’s plans. Pep Guardiola reportedly discussed Gundogan’s return with him and approved the transfer.
In 2016, Gundogan was Pep Guardiola’s first signing as City manager. Over his initial stint, he made 188 appearances for the club, winning the FA Cup twice, the Champions League, and the Premier League five times.
Manchester City has had a relatively quiet summer, with Gundogan being their second major signing, following Brazil’s Savinho. Despite this, they demonstrated their strength with a 2-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday and will host Ipswich Town this Saturday.
