Kevin De Bruyne is considering all possibilities as transfer speculation connects the Manchester City midfielder to the Saudi Pro League.
Kevin De Bruyne, the talented midfielder from Manchester City, has expressed his openness to leaving the club amidst rumors of a lucrative move to the Saudi Pro League.
The 32-year-old, who will soon enter the final year of his contract, has discussed the possibility of a move abroad with his family, with his wife Michele willing to consider the idea. De Bruyne has had a successful nine-year stint at City, winning six Premier League titles and one Champions League. However, he missed a significant portion of this season due to hamstring surgery.
Speaking to Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, De Bruyne acknowledged the allure of the financial aspect of a potential move. He stated, “You’re talking about incredible amounts of money in what may be the end of my career. Sometimes you have to think about that. For Michele, an exotic adventure is okay. These are also conversations that we are increasingly having as a family.”
Reports from October have linked De Bruyne to the Middle East, with Al Nassr being one of the clubs mentioned. It was even reported that Cristiano Ronaldo reached out to the Belgian international in an attempt to convince him to make the switch. Al Nassr boasts a star-studded squad, including Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozovic, and De Bruyne’s former City teammate Aymeric Laporte.
Despite the speculation, De Bruyne emphasized that he still has one year left on his contract and is focused on the upcoming European Championship with the Belgium national team. He acknowledged that his eldest child, who has grown up in England, has started asking about his future at City. De Bruyne stated, “Once the moment comes, we will have to deal with it in a certain way. If I play there for two years, I will be able to earn an incredible amount of money. Before that, I had to play football for 15 years. I may not even reach that amount yet. Then you have to think about what that could mean next. But at the moment, I haven’t had to think about that yet.”
Despite Belgium’s disappointing exit from the Qatar World Cup, De Bruyne believes his side still poses a threat in the upcoming European Championship. He acknowledged that they are not considered top favorites but believes that many countries would be wary of facing them. De Bruyne is set to earn his 100th cap for Belgium in their pre-tournament friendly against Montenegro, a milestone he is proud to achieve in front of their supporters.
Belgium is placed in Group E alongside Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine. Their tournament campaign kicks off on June 17 against Slovakia.