Veteran German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has left English club Manchester City once again, this time to return to his ancestral country, Turkey, to play for Galatasaray.

Galatasaray announced in a statement: “A contract has been signed with the player until the end of the 2026-2027 season,” noting that the deal was free of charge as the 34-year-old’s contract with City had expired.

Gundogan had previously left City in summer 2023 after defending its colors since 2016 to join Spanish club Barcelona, but he stayed there for only one season before returning to Pep Guardiola’s team.