Ilkay Gundogan's Manchester City return

Our reporter Michael Plant has all the details on Ilkay Gundogan's return to Manchester City as the transfer is confirmed.

Transcript

00:00Manchester City have completed their second signing of the summer transfer window and

00:04a bit of a shock arrival with Ilkay Gundogan coming in from Barcelona.

00:07I say it's a shock, I mean it's not over the last couple of days since the news broke

00:11but this time a week ago it certainly was not a transfer that was on the cards but it's

00:15all moved pretty quickly really since Gundogan was told last week that he was available for

00:19a transfer from Barcelona.

00:22Obviously City then had their interest peaked and they've decided to move for their former

00:25captain.

00:26Of course a player who left 14 months ago signing for Barcelona and leaving City as

00:31a treble winning captain and of course his final act as City captain was to hoist the

00:35Champions League trophy into the air.

00:37But from a City perspective it's a player who comes in on a free which is a huge boost

00:41obviously financially.

00:42A player who knows the club so well, knows it inside out of course as I say spent seven

00:47years here.

00:48You expect him to just slot back in as if he's never been away.

00:51He addresses some of the issues in Guardiola's squad particularly the lack of midfield options

00:56and cover for Rodri and he should be available to face Ipswich Town on Saturday.

01:02Gundogan signed a one-year contract at City with the option of a further year added on

01:07that will be dependent on appearances not exactly sure on the terms of that but it's

01:11definitely related to the number of appearances he'll make this season.

01:15He's also opted to take the number 19 shirt and previously wore number 8 but Mateo Kovacic

01:19has got that number so he's had to look for it elsewhere and he's decided to take 19 because

01:25he says he's in between 18 and 20 the shirt numbers of his teammates and friends Bernardo

01:30Silva and Stefan Ortega.

01:31It's a bit of an unusual reason to pick a shirt number but an interesting one nonetheless.

01:36And Gundogan spoke about how obviously a year away at City it reaffirmed to him that City

01:40is just the best club in the world, the best place to play your football.

01:44It says that there's not many clubs who can offer what City offer in terms of the overall

01:48package of successful football, playing in the Premier League and of course working under

01:52Pep Guardiola and the City manager speaking just over an hour ago just over my shoulder

01:58here in the press conference room said that Gundogan is going to come back in, he's not

02:01a player who's going to come here to retire, to reflect on his fond memories.

02:04I think the exact quote was put on your shoes was what Guardiola said.

02:09He's going to come here, he's got a big role to play this season understandably for City

02:12and it's certainly a very exciting signing and one that the City fans will be absolutely

02:16delighted about.