One Manchester City player is attracting serious attention right now, with the player’s agent said to have met with 10 clubs earlier this week.
City are licking their wounds today, after losing the FA Cup final against Manchester United at Wembley.
City lost 2-1 as the Red Devils exacted revenge for last year, with Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo scoring in the first-half.
Jeremy Doku – City’s best player on the day – pulled one back late on. But Pep Guardiola‘s side left themselves too much to do, against a side defending for their lives at the end.
One man who struggled to have an impact during Saturday’s final was Kevin De Bruyne.
The £55 million Belgian was substituted before the hour mark, and it was rather an afternoon to forget.
Then, hours after the game, there was yet another report about interest from Saudi Arabia – and apparently, De Bruyne’s agent met with a host of Pro League clubs this week…
Man City star Kevin De Bruyne firmly on Saudi radar as his agents meet with 10 Pro League clubs
Speculation has been increasing about De Bruyne over the last few months.
The 32-year-old returned from injury for City back in January and has largely impressed across his 26 appearances. However, it can be argued that he is not quite the same as he was previously.
But he remains a huge player for City, with most fans really hoping he sticks around at the Etihad Stadium.
As reported by the Mirror last night, the feeling is still that De Bruyne is set to extend his contract with the club, and then ultimately head to the MLS, with San Diego said to be keen.
But it is stated that De Bruyne is still a major target for the Saudi Pro League, who are determined to snap up some big names again this summer. Apparently, De Bruyne’s agent met with 10 Pro League clubs this past week.
At the moment, De Bruyne ‘is not thought to be interested in a mega-money switch to the Saudi Pro League’, according to the Mirror. That said, Al Hilal are ‘striving’ to turn his head.
De Bruyne going to Saudi Arabia still feels unlikely
It is something of a relief to still read that De Bruyne is expected to extend his contract at Manchester City.
While he may be approaching his mid-thirties now, he still has plenty to offer and his creativity has not really waned since he came back from his hamstring injury.
A move to Saudi Arabia cannot be completely ruled out. But him heading to the Middle East has never really felt particularly likely. A move to California eventually though might be something he considers.
Hopefully, there will soon be word of the ‘phenomenal’ De Bruyne extending his deal at City so that the speculation surrounding him can stop.
De Bruyne has the footballing intelligence to keep playing at the highest level for some time yet. The star has long been quite an explosive player, but obviously, he is a sensational creator as well. It is very possible we could start to see him operate further back as a kind of deep-lying playmaker.
It could even be that we see De Bruyne move back and Rodri move a bit further forward, given the Spaniard’s amazing numbers (nine goals, 14 assists) in 2023/24. After all, pundit Jamie Redknapp did suggest recently that he was more than just a top holding midfielder these days.