There’s speculation surrounding Kevin De Bruyne’s future beyond his current contract with Manchester City, with reports suggesting a potential move to Major League Soccer (MLS) upon its expiration in 2025. The Belgian midfielder is reportedly leaning towards a Stateside transfer over a move to the Saudi Pro-League.
According to The Athletic, De Bruyne, 32, is contemplating his options for life after Manchester City, considering the club’s tendency to hesitate in offering contract extensions to players approaching their mid-30s, as evidenced by previous negotiations with Ilkay Gundogan.
Reports indicate that Manchester City would entertain offers for their star captain, provided they reach a substantial sum, with a figure around $115 million (£90 million) being mentioned in the report.
Despite lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia, including one valued at $75.7 million per year (£59.7 million, €70 million) last year, De Bruyne has expressed a firm preference for a move to the United States upon retirement, regardless of the financial incentives.
While there’s the possibility of De Bruyne extending his stay at Manchester City and retiring with the club around the age of 35, no discussions regarding such an extension have taken place yet, with 18 months remaining on his current contract.
Inspired by Lionel Messi’s current role at Inter Miami, where he won the Leagues Cup within two seasons, De Bruyne could be considering a similar path. Reports suggest he could secure a lucrative contract similar to Messi’s, earning $150 million over two seasons if he were to join an MLS club.
Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia remains determined to secure De Bruyne’s signature, fueled in part by the presence of Michael Emenalo as the league’s sporting director. Emenalo, who orchestrated De Bruyne’s transfer to Chelsea from Genk in 2012 when the player was just 20 years old, maintains a strong interest in the midfielder.
Manchester City’s ability to retain long-serving players was demonstrated by Kyle Walker’s contract extension last summer, following speculation of a potential move to Bayern Munich.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2014/09/23/1319125-28375729-2560-1440.jpg "Kevin De Bruyne could follow Lionel Messi to the United States 3")
Manchester City also signed Frank Lampard at age 36 in 2014, despite the former Chelsea midfielder being at the end of his career. He grabbed eight goals in 38 appearances, most famously a late equalizer against his former club in a 1-1 draw.
City manager Pep Guardiola previously insisted that he wants De Bruyne to finish his career in Manchester, despite his captain being heavily linked with a move abroad.
According to ESPN, when asked about speculation regarding De Bruyne, the Catalan said: ‘It’s a question for him, I’d love him to stay but I don’t know.
‘I heard some links but I don’t know if there’s an offer, I don’t know if Saudi Arabia wants him. I would love him to stay until the end of his career, but everyone is everyone.’