Manchester City keen to bring back Ilkay Gündogan from Barcelona

Manchester City are interested in bringing back their former club captain Ilkay Gundogan from Barcelona, Report informs via The Guardian.

The German midfielder left City just over a year ago but wants to leave the Catalan club, opening up the opportunity of a return to the ­Premier League, although there is interest from Türkiye and Saudi Arabia.

Gundogan spent seven seasons at the Etihad Stadium, winning five league titles and the Champions League, but departed for Catalonia in 2023 at the end of his contract.

The 33-year-old German, who has two years to run on his current contract, did not feature for ­Barcelona in their opening match of the season against Valencia.

City are looking to bolster their squad before the end of the window following the sale of Julian ­Alvarez and Oscar Bobb’s leg fracture, ­making Gundogan coming back an ideal ­solution. City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted to being open to the prospect of ­acquiring a central midfielder to help alleviate the burden on Rodri. Although often a No 8 when at City, Gundogan was able to play as a defensive midfielder, offering the ­versatility ­Guardiola craves.