Gundogan keeps Dortmund return option open

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan said on Wednesday that he has not ruled out a return to his former club Borussia Dortmund in the future.

The Germany international joined the former English Premier League (EPL) champions earlier this year on a four-year deal for a fee in the region of 20 million pounds ($ 25.96m) from Dortmund.

Gundogan missed the start of the season due to injury, but made his first appearance in the Champions League against German outfit Borussia Monchengladbach, before netting on his EPL debut against Bournemouth.

The 25-year-old German international is hoping he can get on now with his career in England as he looks to continue his development.

However, he has revealed that he would be open to returning to Dortmund, where he spent five years, after he has fulfilled his ambitions in the EPL.

"If it was the case in the next one or two years, I would probably not be happy about it. Because it would probably mean that I have failed or not developed myself," Gundogan was quoted as saying by German publication Bild.

"If I'm 29 or 30, I do not know if [Dortmund would] still want me. Basically, I would not exclude the possibility, but now I have other big targets."

Gundogan, who has scored four goals in 16 international appearances for Germany, joined Dortmund in 2011. He made 105 appearances for the former Bundesliga champions, scoring 10 goals.

--IANS

dm/ajb/bg