Kevin De Bruyne next club: Man City star tipped for MLS move after 'holding talks' with Saudi side'

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Evening Standard

·4 April 2025

Kevin De Bruyne next club: Man City star tipped for MLS move after 'holding talks' with Saudi side'

De Bruyne shocked the sporting world with an out-of-the-blue announcement

Kevin de Bruyne has announced his shock departure from Manchester City, triggering speculation as to where he will move next.

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The Belgium international will leave City when his contract expires at the end of this season, but it remains unclear whether he will participate in this summer’s Club World Cup in the United States.

He arrived in the northwest from Wolfsburg in 2015, winning the Champions League and six Premier League titles among various other trophies in his ten years at the Etihad, including a historic treble in the 2018-19 season.

Manager Pep Guardiola spoke in glowing terms about his impact at the club, noting his key role in so many of those trophy-winning campaigns, saying he would bet “big money” on De Bruyne being honoured with a statue outside the Etihad.

Now, though, the world will watch to see where the talismanic playmaker will move next, with various reports linking him to the United States’ MLS, Saudi Pro League (SPL), and several European sides.

As he will be available for free, whichever team wins the race for his signature will enjoy one of the best value transfers in football history.

It is not unusual for European players to move to the MLS as their careers wind down. David Beckham was among the first to do so when he moved to LA Galaxy in 2007, with the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Frank Lampard, and David Villa all following suit.

The SPL has in recent years emerged as a competitor for the MLS for the signatures of Europe's aging greats, thanks to the lack of salary cap. Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Al-Nassr in 2022, with his contract reportedly worth €200 million per year.

Kevin De Bruyne will seek a new challenge this summer

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De Bruyne has reportedly held talks with Saudi second-tier side Neom SC, who are considered to be among the wealthiest clubs in world football.

Southern Californian MLS side San Diego FC are also reported to hold interest, as are Argentine champions River Plate and Turkish giants Galatasaray and Fenerbahce.

While the MLS and SPL are De Bruyne’s most likely destinations, he has also been tipped for romantic returns to his former clubs, including Genk and Wolfsburg. He graduated from Genk’s academy in 2008, spending four years in the first team and making 113 appearances before a doomed transfer to Chelsea.

To head home to Gent would mirror the decision of his former Man City and Belgium teammate Vincent Kompany, who returned to his boyhood club RSC Anderlecht after leaving Manchester.