Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Group G - Manchester City v Al Ain - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. - June 22, 2025 Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan after the match IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Brett Davis
Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan is closing in on a move to Galatasaray on a free transfer. The 34-year-old rejoined City last summer after spending a season with Barcelona.
He made 54 appearances for City last season in all competitions, but was largely unable to reproduce the form of his first stint when he won five Premier League titles and one Champions League crown in seven years.
He has yet to feature for Pep Guardiola’s side this season though, and was an unused substitute for City’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton last weekend. ESPN has reported that Gundogan is set to sign a two-year contract with Galatasaray, with the final details between the Turkish side and City still being agreed.
The deal is understood to be very close, and Galatasaray have until Sept. 12 to close the deal. The Turkish transfer window remains open beyond the Sept. 1 deadline imposed by the Premier League and Europe’s other top leagues.
Galatasaray are believed to be keen to finalize the paperwork on Tuesday however, in time to register him for this season’s Champions League.
Gundogan to end second City stint
Gundogan will depart City as an all time club great, having won five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four EFL Cups, and one Champions League crown in his eight years at the Etihad. He has 221 Premier League appearances for City, scoring 45 goals and adding 22 assists.
He joined City from Dortmund in 2016 in a £20m deal as Pep Guardiola’s first signing as City manager. He quickly became a key man for Guardiola’s side, pulling the strings from midfield.
He finds himself low on Pep Guardiola’s pecking list this season however, following the signings of Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki. Gundogan was one of many City players linked with a move away for much of the summer alongside Jack Grealish, James McAtee, and Manuel Akanji.
Grealish and Akanji have now left City on loan, joining Everton and Inter Milan respectively. McAtee has joined Nottingham Forest in a £30m deal.
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