Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne has reportedly reached a verbal agreement to join a new club this summer ahead of his contract at the Etihad Stadium expiring.
Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne has reportedly reached a verbal agreement to join a new club in a potential big-money move ahead of his contract at the Etihad Stadium expiring.
The 33-year-old missed the first half of last season due to injury but returned to be a key player for City in the latter part of the Premier League campaign.
Last term, the Belgian scored six goals and provided 18 assists in 26 appearances for the Citizens.
De Bruyne’s contract at the Etihad Stadium runs until 2025, at which point he will be 34. Thus, the Premier League champions might consider cashing in on the star playmaker this summer if the opportunity arises.
The Belgian international has been heavily linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League in recent times, and it seems that a move to the Middle East could happen this summer.
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Kevin De Bruyne agrees to join Saudi Pro League giant?
According to journalist Rudy Galetti, De Bruyne has now reached a ‘verbal agreement’ to join Saudi Pro League club Al Ittihad ahead of the 2024-25 season.
The journalist claimed that representatives from the Saudi Pro League club and the PIF delegation spoke to the player, who reportedly agreed to move to the Middle East.
It is understood that Al-Nassr, home of Cristiano Ronaldo, Aymeric Laporte and Sadio Mane, are also interested in the City midfielder, but Al Ittihad are believed to be the frontrunners to secure the Belgian’s signature.
The report added that De Bruyne’s fate is now ‘up to the club’, with the Premier League champions reportedly ‘open’ to letting the 33-year-old leave the Etihad this offseason.
Speaking to the media last month, De Bruyne commented about the possibility of moving to the Pro League. He said: “At my age, you have to be open to everything.
“You’re talking about incredible amounts of money in what may be the end of my career. Sometimes you have to think about that.
“If I play there for two years, I will be able to earn an incredible amount of money. Before that, I had to play football for 15 years. I may not even reach that amount yet.
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Man City planning for life after De Bruyne
Some sources have suggested that City are already planning for the Belgian’s departure and are keeping an eye on Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala as his potential replacement.
The German international has been a standout performer for Die Mannschaft at the Euros so far this year and scored 10 goals while providing six assists in 24 Bundesliga matches for the Bavarians last season.
There have also been rumours that Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz is another player on the radar of City’s recruitment team.
De Bruyne has enjoyed an incredible spell with the Citizens since arriving from Wolfsburg in 2015.
During his time in Manchester, he has won six Premier League titles, five EFL Cups, two FA Cups, the Champions League, along with the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.