Manchester City legend open to sensational Etihad Stadium return just one year after club exit | OneFootball

Manchester City could be offered a sensational opportunity to welcome back Ilkay Gundogan to the Etihad Stadium, just one year after his exit to Barcelona.

The German midfielder, who is widely remembered for being the club captain during Manchester City’s historic Treble-winning season and UEFA Champions League success, brought an end to a legendary stay at the Etihad Stadium last summer.

Having not been offered the necessary contractual proposal from Etihad Stadium officials at the end of his agreement, Catalan giants FC Barcelona took advantage of the situation and secured the player’s services on a free transfer.

Manchester City were swift to secure replacements for the now-33-year-old, with Mateo Kovacic arriving from Chelsea and proving to be a success with the club, and Matheus Nunes joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers in a deal exceeding £50 million.

But now, just one year on from bringing an end to his Manchester City career in emotional fashion, a door has seemingly opened for Gundogan at Barcelona that could see him return to the home of the Premier League champions.

According to the information of journalists Adrià Albets and Santi Ovalle, Ilkay Gundogan has now agreed to leave Barcelona this summer following a conversation with manager Hansi Flick, with the La Liga club now waiting for offers from potential suitors across Europe.

The report has clarified that at this stage, the German midfielder has not communicated to Barcelona of any offer that has caught his attention, although he would welcome the possibility of returning to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

The circumstances behind Ilkay Gundogan’s handling at Barcelona are largely clear and financial, with an exit for the player opening up the club to the arrival of new names into Hansi Flick’s playing squad for the 2024/25 campaign.

That includes Barcelona’s big-money and poster signing of Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig, with the Spanish international and European Championships star left out of the Barcelona squad for their opening La Liga match against Valencia due to the impossibility of being registered.

It is further understood, as per information from Cadena SER, that a meeting between Barcelona and the Spanish top-flight is scheduled for this week to establish where the salary limit is for the Catalan club.

It remains to be seen whether Manchester City would be open to the idea of bringing the player back to the Etihad Stadium, especially given he would cost a transfer fee this summer, although officials working on Pep Guardiola’s squad are working on midfield recruitment.

One interesting factor in a potential conversation over a Gundogan transfer is the future of Joao Cancelo, with the Portugal international still keen on a return to Barcelona following his season-long loan spell with the club last campaign.