Ilkay Gundogan has returned to Manchester City, just over a year after leaving the club for Barcelona.
He has signed a one-year deal.
“My seven years at Manchester City were a time of pure contentment for me, both on and off the pitch,” he told the club website. “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.”
He added: “What can I say about my team-mates here at City … they are world class footballers. I am genuinely delighted to have the chance to train and play alongside them.
“Honestly, I cannot wait to wear the City shirt again.”
In his first spell at City, Gundogan won 14 major trophies and was influential in helping the club secure five Premier League titles, as well as the Champions League.
The German, who recently retired from international football, played 304 times across seven seasons at the Etihad Stadium, scoring 60 goals.
Gundogan has always been a ‘big game player’, and he stepped up on many occasions during his first time in sky blue.
Perhaps most memorably at Wembley in 2023, when he scored the quickest goal in FA Cup final history by finding the net after just 13 seconds, before adding a second, as City beat Manchester United.
A week later, Gundogan lifted the Champions League as he captained the club to an historic treble.
That proved to be his final match for City before moving to Catalonia, where he went on to play 51 times in all competitions for Barcelona, who finished second in La Liga in his sole season at the Nou Camp.
However, after being left out of their opening match of the 2024/25 season against Valencia, Gundogan’s future was put in doubt, despite having two years remaining on his contract.
Manager Hansi Flick wanted the midfielder to stay, but with financial pressures mounting, the club were willing to listen to offers.
Interest from Spain and Saudi Arabia arrived, but it is a return to England and City which Gundogan has opted for, and he will join up with his team-mates ahead of their match against newly-promoted Ipswich Town.
