Ilkay Gündogan’s wife Sara apparently agreed to his return to Manchester City earlier this year.
The Pitch Prospect has learned that the German midfielder is interested in extending his contract with the Citizens after just one season at Barcelona.
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And the Blaugrana will not stand in the way of the 33-year-old and will grant him a free transfer as they look to reduce their salary bill.
Pep Guardiola is believed to have given City the green light to bring the club’s former captain back to the Etihad.
And from an interview that Sara Gündogan gave to the Daily Mail in February, it emerges that this step has her blessing.
The 29-year-old, who once complained about the quality of food in Manchester, admitted she misses the city after moving to Spain with her husband.
She said: “When I was in Manchester, my whole life (originally) revolved around football.
“My friends were football, the people I met through my husband, and outside of that I had nothing that was simply my world.
“And I’m a social person. So it took a while, but I made friends and it was really nice.
“After I made friends, I was really happy. I had my own life and routine in Manchester and one of my best friends is there.”
Sara spoke about the difficulties of swapping England for Spain, adding: “Over the years I have seen friends move.
“It’s something that always happens in football and suddenly you get a call from them telling you they’re going to another country.
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“So it’s always there, it’s always happening, but I didn’t think it would hit us and when it hits you, it’s a big shock.
“It’s always sad, especially because you find friends, are happy somewhere, build your life and then have to leave all the people you love behind.”
Gündogan enjoyed seven trophy-winning seasons at the Etihad, where he scored 60 goals in 304 games in all competitions.
In his last season, he won the Premier League, the Champions League and the FA Cup, thus securing the historic treble for the Citizens.
He even scored both goals in the FA Cup final against rivals Manchester United in a 2-1 win at Wembley.
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