Man City's new strongest starting XI after Ilkay Gundogan completes shock transfer return

Ilkay Gundogan is back at Manchester City after just a single season at Barcelona.

The German midfielder played a key role in City's 2022/23 treble-winning campaign as Pep Guardiola's team matched the achievement set by rivals Manchester United in 1999. Gundogan left the Etihad Stadium that summer to join Barca where he made 51 appearances.

But now he is back in Manchester and is set to bolster City's midfield options whilst providing vital leadership and experience. The 33-year-old has re-joined on a one-year deal with the option of a 12-month extension with the club pouncing after learning he had offers from elsewhere.

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And the Premier League champions now have a plethora of options to choose from in central midfield. Rodri is a guaranteed starter in any City team and will sit in a deeper role to help build up play from the back and prevent counterattacks.

In City's usual 4-3-3 formation, Kevin de Bruyne is also likely to start when available, with Mateo Kovacic often preferred alongside him. But now that Gundogan has returned, Guardiola will have a dilemma in midfield.

Kovacic joined from Chelsea last summer off the back of Gundogan's departure. However, the Croatian does not provide the same match-winning moments seen so often by City's returning hero.

Gundogan scored the vital winning goal to secure victory from 2-0 down against Aston Villa on the final day of the 2021/22 season, a win which clinched the league title by a single point over second-placed Liverpool. He would also score a brace against United in the following season's FA Cup final in