In August 2015, Manchester City officially announced the successful signing of Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne from Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga for a five-year contract at a sky-high price of 54.5 million pounds.
It became then-boss Manuel Pellegrini's eighth signing of the season and the most costly deal. At the time, fans and commentators were skeptical that the player, who had been dropped after three years with the Blues, would be able to make his mark in the Premier League again.
A few years later, in 2018, the two sides sat down at the negotiating table again, and a new five-year contract was in front of them. De Bruyne quickly signed his name on the last page of the contract, a young and confident smile on his face.
Three years later, in 2021, the two sides returned to the negotiating table again after a round of fierce games. A brand new four-year contract was ready in black and white, and De Bruyne still sketched his name on the contract as lightly as a butterfly through a flower, without the slightest hesitation.
During this time, Manchester City, once considered Manchester United's "noisy neighbors", redefined the colours of the Manchester City sky. Their voices in the past were not noisy, but deafening. No one is ridiculing them for their overly extravagant atmosphere, and the whole of Europe and even the world is in awe of the team's royal demeanor.
De Bruyne is no longer as young as he used to be, and his face is engraved with the vicissitudes of time. He is an award-winning player, with the Champions League, FA Cup, Premier League, English League Cup trophies, each of which bears witness to his hard work.
However, the record of 22 injuries loomed over him like a shadow, and every inch of his skin from head to toe was tortured by needles and stitches. In the worst case, he broke his hamstring and spent 138 days in a hospital bed. During this time, Manchester City felt the loneliness and pain of not having De Bruyne for the first time.
And after returning from injury, De Bruyne is still eager to wear the blue shirt and continue to play on the pitch. However, his contract is about to expire and he has not received a new contract from the club.
Manchester City waited for his comeback, waited for his decisive goal, but there was no news of a new contract. He will be 33 years old at the end of the season, and he feels it for the first time"Midlife crisis"The weekly salary seemed to be an insurmountable obstacle, isolating his past glory from his future.
According to The Athletic, the Saudi side are keen to sign Kevin De Bruyne and are willing to offer an enticing ** for this. However, De Bruyne is not in a hurry to join the Saudi league, preferring instead to try the American Professional Soccer League.
The Saudi Arabians have attacked him in the winter window, and this summer, they will be chasing him again, willing to convince City to release him with an irresistible force.
For Manchester City, Kevin De Bruyne is entering the late stages of his career and frequent injuries will affect his playing time. The team is more inclined to develop younger, and De Bruyne's departure will also bring out the potential of other players.
Therefore, if there is a suitable **, such as more than 100 million pounds, Manchester City are willing to let him go. In their view, even without Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City are still that invincible team.
Boss Pep Guardiola has given a thoughtful answer to De Bruyne's question about the future. He expressed hope that De Bruyne would choose to stay, but admitted that he could not understand his inner thoughts.
Although he has heard rumours about De Bruyne's future, he is unclear if there is a specific **. Pep Guardiola wants De Bruyne to end his career at Manchester City, but understands that everyone has their own ideas.
In this case, De Bruyne's departure will be his personal choice and Manchester City should not be held responsible. Despite providing four assists for Erling Haaland in recent FA Cup matches, De Bruyne's future prospects remain elusive.
As for De Bruyne's possible options, "TA" put forward three speculations: one is to renew the contract, but over time, the salary and status may decline; the second is to move to Saudi Arabia, where the salary is good but you need to adapt to a different lifestyle and culture; The third is to switch to the American Vocational League, you can gain fame and fortune, and at the same time, the climate and living conditions are more pleasant.
Kevin De Bruyne has contributed a lot to the team's success as a hero of Manchester City, but City's future does not depend entirely on him. Football is a competitive sport as well as a business, and staying true to it is no longer considered the only quality to be pursued. De Bruyne is here to deliver on his promise, and no matter where he chooses to go, he will be worthy of it.