Manchester City successfully completed the acquisition of Kevin De Bruyne from VfL Wolfsburg in 2015, with Pep Guardiola’s influence during his tenure at Bayern Munich playing a notable role. De Bruyne has significantly enhanced Manchester City’s squad dynamics since his arrival almost a decade ago, positioning himself as a leading figure in English football, despite initial challenges during his time at Chelsea.
City demonstrated unwavering confidence in De Bruyne’s abilities despite his previous setbacks, officially announcing his transfer on a six-year contract for a then-record fee of £55 million. This transaction marked the second most expensive transfer in British football history at the time. De Bruyne’s subsequent performance has substantiated Manchester City’s belief in him, reflecting positively on the decision-makers at the club, including Pep Guardiola.
In a recent episode of The Denilson Show podcast, former Manchester City captain Fernandinho shed light on the process that led to the acquisition of Kevin De Bruyne, particularly highlighting the competition faced from Bayern Munich. Fernandinho recounted discussions within Bayern’s scouting department regarding De Bruyne during Guardiola’s tenure at the German club.
Since joining Manchester City, De Bruyne has amassed over 365 appearances for the club, scoring an impressive 98 goals from his attacking midfield position and securing a total of 14 trophies. Despite recent speculation surrounding potential interest from entities backed by Saudi Arabian investment, De Bruyne’s immediate focus is expected to be on contract negotiations with Manchester City, should discussions be initiated by the club’s officials in the near future.