Manchester City and Ilkay Gundogan have reached an agreement for the German midfielder to rejoin the Premier League champions, according to The Athletic.
Gundogan is set to sign a one-year contract with City, which includes an option for an additional 12 months.
He will be returning to Manchester on a free transfer after a brief stint with Barcelona, where he joined following the expiration of his City contract in June 2023.
In a surprising move, Gundogan has agreed to forgo the remaining two years of his salary at Barcelona to facilitate his return to City.
His contract with the Catalan club was originally set for two years, but a third year was triggered after he played in over 60% of their matches last season.
After joining Barcelona last summer, Gundogan made 36 appearances during his debut season in La Liga.
However, his future with the club became uncertain after Hansi Flick replaced Xavi as head coach earlier this summer. Flick reportedly informed Gundogan that he was not part of his plans going forward.
Manchester City had emerged as the frontrunner for Gundogan’s signature.
Following conversations with City manager Pep Guardiola, who gave his approval, the deal gained momentum.
Gundogan previously enjoyed great success at City, making 188 appearances and helping the club win five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and one Champions League trophy.
City have had a relatively quiet summer transfer window, with Brazilian international Savinho being their only senior signing, while Julian Alvarez has departed for Atletico Madrid.
The reigning Premier League champions kicked off their new campaign with a victory over Chelsea and are set to face newly-promoted Ipswich Town on Saturday.
Earlier this week, Ilkay Gundogan also announced his retirement from international football after captaining Germany at the European Championship on home soil this summer.
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