Manchester City fans are eagerly anticipating the return of Ilkay Gundogan – and it will not be long now before he is officially announced.
The midfielder is all set to join the club, after leaving last summer to move to Barcelona.
Last weekend, Gundogan‘s future was thrown into doubt, with Barcelona seeking to offload him.
The Spanish giants needed to get his wages off the books as they have still not registered new signing Dani Olmo.
Once it became clear that Barca were ready to offload him, City showed their interest. And it has not take long for Gundogan to decide to return.
The midfielder had plenty of other options, but is keen for a second spell with City. His move is set to be announced today, with the player having already been spotted out in the city centre.
Ilkay Gundogan dines out with Pep Guardiola ahead of Manchester City return as contract detail shared
Gundogan spent seven years at City the first time around.
He joined for £20 million as Pep Guardiola‘s first signing, and after some injury problems early on, the German proved to be an incredible signing.
Gundogan was brilliant across a wide range of roles, and came through for City several times. He’s had some major moments in the shirt, such as his brace against Aston Villa to win the Premier League title, and his two goals against Manchester United in the 2023 FA Cup final.
It makes so much sense for City to bring him back, and fans can’t wait for those first pictures.
It is only a matter of time, with Gundogan having already been spotted in Manchester city centre ahead of his proposed return.
The Sun have published photos of the player, who went to the restaurant TAST last night for food with Pep, who owns it.
No doubt the pair will have had a good catch up after Gundogan’s year at the City boss’ former club.
Meanwhile, Mundo Deportivo have reported that Gundogan and City have verbally agreed a ‘1+1’ contract. So he’ll sign for the current season, and then him sticking around for another would apparently depend on objectives achieved.
What a signing for City
For many City fans, this deal to bring Gundogan back still doesn’t feel real.
It has moved very quickly, but Gundogan will be a new City player and there is probably a very good chance he will even be in the squad to face Ipswich Town on Saturday.
Pep would probably like for that, especially since it looks like Rodri will not be playing as he has still not yet returned to training.
Gundogan, in many ways, is a perfect signing for City.
Ultimately, his versatility will be a huge help this season and he can provide that quality before City splash out on a younger midfielder next summer. He knows the manager, the system, the players and the fans adore him – it can surely only be a success.
