Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne announced on Friday that he will be leaving the club when the current season concludes.
The 33-year-old Belgian, who joined City in 2015 from Wolfsburg, has been a key player in their success, contributing to 14 major title wins, including six Premier League championships and the 2023 Champions League.
In a social media post, De Bruyne acknowledged the difficulty of the decision, stating that he felt it was the right time to move on and expressed immense gratitude for his time at the club, the city, and the fans, emphasizing that they had given him everything and together they had achieved significant victories.
De Bruyne has been a pivotal figure in Manchester City’s emergence as a dominant force in English football, twice being recognized as the players’ player of the year.
He currently holds the second-highest number of assists in Premier League history with 118 and has scored 106 goals in his 413 appearances for the club.
City manager Pep Guardiola lauded De Bruyne as one of the greatest players the club has ever seen, highlighting his exceptional assists, goals, and vision, and acknowledging the challenge of replacing a player of his caliber after a decade of outstanding contributions.
While De Bruyne’s contract expires at the end of June, his immediate future with the club, particularly regarding participation in the Club World Cup, remains uncertain.
De Bruyne himself described his time at City as the “best chapter” and expressed his desire to savor the remaining moments. Speculation suggests potential moves to the Saudi Pro League or Major League Soccer in the United States for the midfielder.
His influence on the team has been somewhat limited recently due to injuries, including a significant hamstring tear last season and fewer starts this season compared to previous ones, despite Manchester City’s overall performance falling short of their usual high standards, currently sitting fifth in the Premier League and having been eliminated from the Champions League.
Despite his club form this season, De Bruyne has been a long-standing member of Belgium’s successful national team, earning over 100 caps and contributing to their best-ever World Cup finish in 2018.
His initial foray into the Premier League with Chelsea was unsuccessful, but his career was revitalized after a move to Wolfsburg, where he was named German player of the season.
Manchester City’s substantial investment in him was initially questioned, but De Bruyne quickly proved his value, becoming instrumental in the club’s unprecedented period of success under Guardiola, which included multiple Premier League titles, domestic trebles, and a historic Champions League victory, culminating in becoming the first English club to win four consecutive top-flight titles.
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