Guardiola keen on Gündogan return: why did he leave Manchester City for Barcelona?

Ilkay Gündogan only joined Barcelona in the summer of 2023 but now looks set to leave the club before the end of the current transfer window, with Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola keen to take the midfielder back to the Premier League.

The 33-year-old was Barça’s big-name signing ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, which ended in disappointment as they surrendered their LaLiga title to Real Madrid, were thrashed in the Spanish Super Cup final by their arch rivals and eliminated in the quarterfinals of both the Champions League and Copa del Rey.

Why do Barcelona want to sell Ilkay Gündogan?

Former Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick has replaced club legend Xavi as head coach and is reportedly looking to install a high-tempo style of play better suited to younger players. Gündogan, however, claims club bosses rather than his fellow German want him out in an effort to ease the Catalans’ ongoing financial issues and free up space on their wage bill to sign an attacker.

In any case, Gündogan, who announced his retirement from international duty on Monday, looks set for pastures new. Or does he?

Although there is interest from both Saudi Arabia and Qatar, former club City and also hoping to take back their former captain, who won five Premier League titles, six domestic cups and the Champions League during his time in England.

According to Italian journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Guardiola has given Gündogan’s return the green light, with City having already held discussions with the midfielder, who is thought to favour a move back to Manchester.

The reason Gündogan left Manchester City for Barcelona

That despite rejecting the offer of a new contract with the Premier League champions just 12 months ago to move to Barcelona.

“If I was going to move, there is only one club in the world that made sense. It was Barcelona or nothing,” Gündogan explained last June. “Ever since I was a little kid, I dreamed of wearing that shirt some day.”

The German’s time in Spain didn’t quite work out the way he dreamt it, with Barça failing to lift silverware last season. But he could well get his hands on more trophies if he does indeed complete his City return.