3 months ago
24 
Man City have taken a step closer to bringing Ilkay Gundogan back to the club as Barcelona have decided that they will let the German star leave Spain for free.
The Catalan club are looking for ways to register new signing Dani Olmo with La Liga and getting Gundogan’s salary off their books will help achieve this.
In order to facilitate a move, Barcelona have decided to let the midfielder leave for free and the possibility of signing the 33-year-old for nothing is something that interests Man City.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Premier League champions are working on a deal to bring Gundogan back to the Etihad Stadium with the player’s agent set to travel to the UK to get the transfer over the line.
Pep Guardiola is eager to reunite with his former captain but the transfer depends on whether the midfielder wants to return to Manchester or challenge himself elsewhere.
This would be one of the stories of the current transfer window and it is a deal that would excite Man City fans as Gundogan is a club legend.
Ilkay Gundogan is closing in on a Man City return
Ilkay Gundogan’s Man City story set for a new chapter
Before leaving for Barcelona last summer, Gundogan spent seven years with Man City between 2016 and 2023, winning everything alongside Pep Guardiola. The German racked up 304 appearances for the Premier League champions, scoring 60 goals and assisting a further 38.
Some of those strikes are the biggest in the history of the Manchester club, with his brace against Aston Villa on the final day of the 2021/22 campaign being the most memorable.
At 33 Gundogan is still a top-class player as his intelligence has not left him. The veteran star could be a big factor in Man City’s success this season and Guardiola knows this, hence why the Spanish coach is open to bringing his former captain back.
