Premier League great Paul Merson says that Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne is ‘on another level’ to every other player in the league.
City fans didn’t think that De Bruyne could get any better, but last season he seemed to reach another level in a sky-blue shirt.
The 32-year-old played an instrumental role in City winning the treble, scoring ten goals and providing 31 assists in 49 appearances in all competitions.
De Bruyne was already the assist king of the Premier League, thanks to the Belgian equalling the record for the most assists in a single Premier League season (20) in 2019/2020.
Yet the arrival of Erling Haaland last summer seemed to further elevate De Bruyne’s game, with the midfielder showing a complete mastery of any type of pass imaginable.
Merson says De Bruyne is levels above
Merson, who played for Arsenal 1985 and 1997, is no stranger to midfield brilliance.
At Highbury, he established himself as one of the best midfielders of his generation and was renowned for his vision and passing ability.
Despite that, he’s admitted that he doesn’t even compare to De Bruyne, nor does any other midfielder in the Premier League.
Speaking on a Twitter Spaces hosted by football game Akshun on Wednesday, Merson was asked which player he thinks will record the most assists in the Premier League this season.
“For assists it’s Kevin de Bruyne, the geezer, the machine,” Merson said.
“My game was that I could see things on a football pitch, I had good vision. But I watch games on the telly and he hits passes and I’m like ‘Wow, wow, where did that come from?
“And that was part of my game, seeing things on a football pitch, and he’s completely another level. Completely another level.”
That’s high praise coming from Merson, but he’s right. The Premier League is unlikely to ever see a midfielder as good as De Bruyne.
