Manchester City’s brilliant midfielder Kevin de Bruyne announced that he will leave the Premier League champions after the 2024/25 season.
The 33-year-old’s old club took advantage of the goodbye message to make a wish for a return.
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The Belgium international, who has won 16 trophies since joining City from Wolfsburg in 2015 on a deal worth €75 million – including six Premier League titles and a Champions League – posted a statement on social media on Friday afternoon (4 August).
“When you read this, you will understand where this is going,” De Bruyne’s statement read.
“So I’ll get straight to the point and tell you all that these will be my last months as a Manchester City player.”
“This is not easy to write, but as footballers we all know that this day will eventually come. That day is here – and you deserve to hear it from me first.”
“Football brought me to all of you – and to this city. I chased a dream, not knowing that this period would change my life. This city. This club. These people… I had no choice but to give EVERYTHING back! And guess what – we won it all.”
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What’s next for the 33-year-old?
Unsurprisingly, there has been speculation that he could join a Major League Soccer club or a Saudi Arabian club, but another club could also be in the picture when his contract expires.
His former club Wolfsburg responds in the Belgian star’s statement, writing:
“Dear Kevin, do you remember? You and me ten years ago? How about we do it again?”
This was of course a humorous offer, but De Bruyne will undoubtedly thank the German club for giving him the opportunity to revive his career when he signed for them in 2014, after an unsuccessful spell at Chelsea between 2012 and 2014.
Speaking about his move from Chelsea to the Players’ Tribune in 2019, De Bruyne said:
“I was completely honest. I said, ‘I feel like the club doesn’t really want me here. I want to play football. Better that you sell me.'”
“I think José [Mourinho] was a bit disappointed, but to be fair to him, I think he also understood that I absolutely had to play. So the club ended up selling me, and it wasn’t a big problem. Chelsea got more than double what they paid for me and I got into a much better situation at Wolfsburg.”
“Everything changed then.”
The Belgium international made 73 appearances for the German club between 2014 and 2015, a period in which he scored 20 goals and provided 37 assists before returning to the Premier League.
