Ilkay Gundogan has admitted his return to Manchester City was “quick and uncomplicated” and felt like coming home.
The midfielder has been speaking to Sky Sports Germany after he made a surprise move back to the Etihad at the end of the transfer window.
He quickly sorted out a return to Manchester City, who had been reluctant to lose him on a free transfer a year earlier.
The deal was rapidly agreed between the two sides, and he sealed his return, coming on to make his second debut just two days later.
The transfer was facilitated by Pep Guardiola, who made an exception to his rule on signing players of a certain age to welcome back the 33-year-old, who has long been a favourite of the Catalan manager.
Gundogan is grateful for that and believes the fact everything was done so quickly was actually a blessing.
“To be honest, it was quick and uncomplicated. In the end, the only question was what the other parties thought about it,” he said.
“Ultimately it also depends on what Barcelona thinks, what the board here in Manchester thinks. Then you have to agree on certain modalities. Making a transfer like this is not always as easy as it seems.
“Everything happened very quickly, which is sometimes better. Then you don’t have so much time to think, you just do everything as it comes. The fact that it was so uncomplicated also shows that it had to happen that way.”
The big question now is what role the 33-year-old plays in the team moving forwards, with Manchester City having moved on without him last season.
Their squad is currently stacked full of midfield talent, meaning competition for places is high, even with an increasingly fixtured filled football calendar.
Some have suggested that Gundogan has simply returned to take a pay cheque and see out his career in relative comfort at the Etihad not playing a substantial role.
But he insists that is not the case and he instead wants to be challenged by everyone around him, rather than being preferential treatment because of his status at the club.
“No, I don’t have the same place. One or two things have changed. Sure, new staff came in and I now have a different jersey number,” he added.
“You have to adjust a little to the situation that now prevails here. But that was straightforward. I know most of the guys, most of the employees and it at least seemed like most of them were happy too. At least that’s how I was greeted by everyone. It felt a bit like coming home.
“Still, I have to say: I don’t want it to feel too comfortable. In the end, I didn’t come to sit back. I came back because I also have a certain standard of how I want to play football.
“I want to be challenged, perform and play football at the highest level. It’s also about proving yourself again.”
