A case can be made that Kevin De Bruyne is the best signing Manchester City have ever made.
The midfield maestro was signed by City for a £54.5 million fee in 2015 — a sum that divided opinion amongst fans and pundits alike at the time.
Paul Merson apologised for writing De Bruyne’s signing off — as he slated the fee and the deal at the time.
Merson also revealed while reflecting on his blunder that a key factor behind his lack of faith in the Belgian was due to him being shipped out by Chelsea — a sentiment that could well have been commonplace amongst English supporters.
However, De Bruyne has proven to be a once-in-a-lifetime signing for Manchester City — emerging as one of the best players of his generation.
City’s rousing success without the 33-year-old’s presence seems like an unimaginable prospect at this point.
De Bruyne reveals why he snubbed Bayern and PSG for Man City
De Bruyne had registered 10 goals and 21 assists for the German side in the Bundesliga — winning the 2014/2015 Player of the Season award and leading the club to the DFB-Pokal trophy as well.
Naturally, several clubs would have been keen on signing the former Chelsea midfielder.
It seemed like the West Londoners had made a mistake by letting De Bruyne leave as he enjoyed a truly legendary campaign in a Wolfsburg shirt.
The Drongen-born technician set the assist record in the Bundesliga at the time — a feat that was surpassed by Bayern Munich legend Thomas Mueller five seasons later in the 2019/2020 campaign — emphasising how special the accomplishment was in the first place.
Speaking on The Official Man City Podcast, De Bruyne revealed why he chose to sign for Manchester City instead of both Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain in 2015.
At the time, Pep Guardiola was managing the Bundesliga side as well.
“Well, I think it was a long process in the summer because there were three teams involved with Bayern and PSG. For me, the feeling was always City. They pushed the most, there was the best feeling for me and with Txiki [Bergistain] handling [the negotiations] the way that he did gave me more security.”
“The other ones felt more business, this one was more personal. When I spoke to Txiki and when he explained to me the project, I felt, with the guys coming in, we were the second wave after the takeover.”
“We had the first wave with Yaya [Toure], Vinny [Kompany], Kun [Aguero], all these guys who did it and we were maybe the beginning of the changing of these guys and I felt really good about it that I would be able to do that and it just grew from there.”
Kevin De Bruyne made the right choice by picking Man City
Considering Manchester City failed to win either the Premier League or the Champions League in his first two seasons at the club, some would have questioned De Bruyne’s decision.
However, over time, the ex-Genk creator’s decision proved to be bang on the money.
De Bruyne has become a legend at Manchester City — arguably emerging as the protagonist behind his side having a case for being the greatest team in Premier League history while winning every possible trophy at club level.
The City midfielder has well and truly silenced all his doubters that questioned whether he would succeed in England upon his return to the country — as he is up there with the best players to have ever graced the Premier League — up there with the likes of Thierry Henry and Wayne Rooney to name a few.
While Manchester City had won titles in the past, De Bruyne helped them evolve into an elite club while also stamping their mark on European football by winning the Champions League in 2023 during their treble-winning season.
The Sky Blues vice-captain would certainly not be regretting his decision as he continues to remain a mainstay at the Etihad Stadium.
