Born in Gelsenkirchen, Gündoğan came through VfL Bochum's youth academy. In 2008, he began playing for the club's reserve side before joining 1. FC Nürnberg the following season. He was then acquired by Borussia Dortmund in 2011, winning the double of Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal in his first season. In 2013, he helped die Borussen reach their first UEFA Champions League Final since 1996–97. After playing a total of 157 matches and scoring 15 goals for the club, Gündoğan signed for Manchester City for an estimated transfer fee of £21 million in the summer of 2016. He won the Premier League and EFL Cup in 2017–18.