Manchester City saw various players make moves in and out of the club during the previous summer transfer window.
Cashing in on names such as Julian Alvarez, Joao Cancelo, Liam Delap and Sergio Gomez, City brought in Savinho from Troyes in a £33m deal.
In addition to that, one deal that caught a lot of attention saw Pep Guardiola’s side bring Ilkay Gundogan back to the Etihad Stadium on a free transfer, just one year after he left City as a free agent to join Barcelona.
Upon his return to the club, the 34-year-old has featured in 17 matches across all competitions.
With the Blues going through a dismal run of form recently, some behind-the-scenes information has come to light regarding how the club feel about their move to bring Gundogan back to Manchester.
How Man City feel about Ilkay Gundogan after mixed start to the season
Speaking exclusively to Manchester City News, GRV Media’s transfer expert, Graeme Bailey, said this on how the Manchester club feel about their move to bring Gundogan back to the Etihad and if they potentially regret it now.
He said: “I don’t think they see it as a gamble. It was the right signing at the right time. He hasn’t quite hit the heights previously expected of him, but I’ve not heard anything about them regretting it at all.
“They win as a team, lose as a team. They will not single any one player out. I don’t think it’s one single player anyway, I don’t think it’s that easy. They’re not one of those clubs who point fingers and won’t start now.”
How has Gundogan fared so far this season?
After seeing the midfielder return to the club in the summer, Txiki Begiristain discussed Gundogan’s City move, saying this on the matter.
He said: “Ilkay is one of the finest professionals I have ever worked with. His dedication to football and his approach to every single training session is something special.
“He is also an exceptional midfielder. His reading of the game, his football intelligence, his technical quality and his leadership make him an excellent addition to our squad.
“To be able to bring him back here is fantastic news for everyone. He will help us in our main objective, which is to win trophies, but he will also be an inspiration to so many.”
| Ilkay Gundogan 2024/25 | Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists | Performance Rating* |
| Premier League | 11 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 6.61/10 |
| Champions League | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 7.22/10 |
| Carabao Cup | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5.7/10 |
With the majority of Gundogan’s appearances this season coming in the Premier League, the German has failed to make a significant impact in terms of delivering goals, assists and consistent performances.
Earlier this month, Paul Merson said Gundogan has been struggling this season and doesn’t look like the player he was when he captained City to the Treble in the 2022/23 season.
Even though he’s shown glimpses of his old self in the Champions League this season, things certainly haven’t been particularly positive for Gundogan in his first season since returning to City.
However, with Bailey saying there is no air of regret at the club in regards to bringing the midfielder back to City, this should allow Gundogan to fully focus on his performances and help the team get back to where they need to be as soon as possible.
