Ilkay Gundogan makes a big decision as he eyes a spectacular Premier League return and Barcelona won't stand in his way

Barcelona believe Ilkay Gundogan wants to return to Manchester City, talkSPORT understands.

The LaLiga team is willing to allow Gündogan leaving the club just a year after joining on a free transfer due to FFP issues.

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Gundogan spent seven trophy-laden seasons at the Etihadwhere he contributed 60 goals in 304 matches in all competitions.

The 33-year-old's final season saw him lift the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in what was a historic treble-winning campaign for the Citizens.

He even scored both goals in the FA Cup final against their rivals. Manchester United in a 2-1 win at Wembley.

And now he could be set for one last dance at the Etihad after spending a year in Catalonia, where he made 51 appearances.

It was a season in which they failed to win any type of title since the 2016/17 season.

Barcelona are known to be interested in trimming their squad following the acquisition of Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig.

And Olmo, who helped Spain win Euro 2024 in Germany, would be in contention for a starting place with Gundogan if the former Borussia Dortmund star remains at the Nou Camp.

But the signs point to a swift exit, with new Barca coach Hansi Flick omitting Gundogan from his first LaLiga squad after beating Valencia 2-1 on Saturday.

He did say, however, that he believes his compatriot, whom he coached when he was in charge of the German national team, will remain at the club.

After the win at Mestalla, Flick said: “I've spoken to him to find out how he feels about the season.

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“I know him very well, I appreciate the player and the person he is.

“We talked about everything, but this will stay between us, it's not up to you to know. I have the feeling that it will stay.”

Amid his future, Gundogan has revealed he has called time on his international career after scoring 19 goals in 82 games.

Gundogan, who retired as Germany captain, posted on unknown:”Dear German Football Association, after thinking about it for a few weeks, I have come to the conclusion that the time has come to end my career with the national team.

“I look back with great pride on the 82 international caps I played for my home country, a figure I could never have dreamed of when I made my senior debut in 2011.

“My highlight was definitely the huge honour of being able to lead the team as captain at the European Championships we held on home soil last summer!

“After all these years, we finally managed to make the nation proud again. I am very happy to have been able to play a part in that.

“But even before the tournament I was feeling a certain amount of fatigue in my body and also in my head, which made me think. And the matches at club and national team level are not going to slow down.

“I will certainly remain a fan of this national team and I really hope that we can continue the upward trend together, and then there will be nothing stopping us from being one of the closest contenders for the title at the 2026 World Cup.

“We have a fantastic coach, a really strong squad and great team spirit. Thank you to all the fans, staff, coaches and teammates who have accompanied me on this journey.

“It was an honor! Thank you, Germany! Yours Ilkay.”

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