A journalist has claimed that one Manchester City player could be open to sealing a big-money move to Saudi Arabia this summer.
Many big-name players joined the Saudi Pro League during the previous summer transfer window, two of which included former City players Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte.
Now that the next summer transfer window is around the corner, another one of City’s top stars has been mentioned with a possible move to the Middle East.
Journalist says Man City star hasn’t ruled out Saudi Arabia move
In his latest newsletter (via The Independent), journalist Miguel Delaney said this on the matter.
He said: “Kevin De Bruyne hasn’t yet said ‘no’ to the offer from the Saudi Pro League, which stands at around €70m a year.
“The Belgian’s preference would be to stay if a reasonable deal is offered, but this is where it’s interesting.
“Manchester City can be slow in extending contracts of players in their thirties.
“De Bruyne is obviously one of their greatest ever players, but there has maybe been the slight perception from outside that he himself is slowing down.
“His impact in the biggest games hasn’t been quite as devastating.
“All of this is layered by the fact Pep Guardiola actively wants two attacking midfielders in the summer, as this newsletter has discussed before, with Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala, Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes and West Ham United’s Lucas Paqueta among the options.”
Man City should do all they can to keep hold of Kevin De Bruyne
After trying to lure the 32-year-old last summer, it was reported back in February that the Saudi Pro League would try again this time around.
This season has seen the midfielder make just 21 appearances across all competitions, mainly because a hamstring injury kept him out of action for such a large amount of time.
Despite that, De Bruyne has still managed to show his worth to Pep Guardiola’s side by scoring six goals and delivering 16 assists.
This alone makes us feel that the club should do all they can to get the midfielder, whose current contract is set to expire in 2025, to sign a new deal and convince him to stay at the Etihad Stadium beyond this season, regardless of which players they may be looking to sign in the summer.