Ilkay Gundogan expressed his delight as Manchester City announced the return of the veteran midfielder after one year away at Barcelona.
The former City captain returns to the Etihad Stadium having previously spent seven trophy laden years with the club. Gundogan was at the core of City squad that rose to the top of English football, winning 14 trophies and captaining the historic treble-winning side of 2022/23.
The 33-year-old, who will wear the number 19 shirt, has signed a one-year deal.
The former German international originally joined City in 2016 as the first signing of Pep Guardiola’s managerial tenure. He went on to make 304 appearances during a seven-year spell, scoring 60 goals.
In his final season, he helped City lift a trophy in each of his final three appearances, including the club’s first ever Champions League triumph.
Following the announcement, Gundogan said: “My seven years at Manchester City were a time of pure contentment for me, both on and off the pitch.
“I grew as a person and a player, developed a special relationship with the City fans and enjoyed amazing success. It was an exceptional period in my life. To have the opportunity to return here means so much.
“Everyone knows the respect I have for Pep – he is the best manager in the world and working with him every day makes you a better player. You feel constantly challenged, which for any professional is exactly what you want. I cannot wait to work with him again.
“And what can I say about my teammates here at City… they are world class footballers. I am genuinely delighted to have the chance to train and play alongside them. Honestly, I cannot wait to wear the City shirt again.”
Director of Football Txiki Begiristain added: “Ilkay is one of the finest professionals I have ever worked with. His dedication to football and his approach to every single training session is something special.
“He is also an exceptional midfielder. His reading of the game, his football intelligence, his technical quality and his leadership make him an excellent addition to our squad.
“To be able to bring him back here is fantastic news for everyone. He will help us in our main objective, which is to win trophies, but he will also be an inspiration to so many.”
Bringing in Gundogan is a late call by City in the transfer window. He was one of Xavi Hernandez’s favoured players during the coach's sole season with the Catalan club but Barcelona’s delicate economic situation appears to have forced new coach, Hansi Flick of Germany, to part ways with Gundogan.
Gundogan can be used as a replacement for holding midfielder Rodri should the Spain star need a break. He is well-versed in Guardiola's style of play so has the benefit of not needing a transitional period.
He give manager Guardiola, who did not want Gundogan to leave in the first place, another option having lost forward Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid.
Gundogan could be available for Saturday's match against Ipswich Town at the Etihad Stadium.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
Abramovich London
A Kensington Palace Gardens house with 15 bedrooms is valued at more than £150 million.
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Sale of Chelsea Football Club is now impossible.
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
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The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta
FIGHT%20CARD
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Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Read more about the coronavirus
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The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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