Manchester City and Ilkay Gündoğan appear poised for a reunion.
The former Germany midfielder was spotted at the airport on Wednesday, reportedly boarding a flight from Barcelona to Manchester to finalize his return to City. He is expected to sign a one-year deal with an option for an additional 12 months.
Neither City nor Barcelona has commented publicly on any deal for the 33-year-old Gündoğan.
Gündoğan left City after the 2022-23 season, during which he captained the team to a Premier League-FA Cup-Champions League treble.
He spent seven years at the English club before deciding to move to Barcelona for a new challenge, where he became one of Xavi Hernandez’s favorite players during his sole season with the Catalan club.
However, Barcelona’s delicate economic situation appears to have forced the new coach, Hansi Flick, to part ways with the veteran playmaker.
Gündoğan’s exit could help Barcelona register new midfielder Dani Olmo, which it has so far been unable to do because of La Liga’s financial rules that require clubs to balance expenditures on wages and transfers with available assets.
In addition to Olmo, Barcelona also has depth in creative midfield positions with Pedri González, Frenkie de Jong, Fermin López, and, once he recovers from his serious leg injury, Gavi Páez.
Gündoğan was Germany’s captain at the recent European Championship. He retired from international duty this week.
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