Journalist Guillem Balague has said that as extraordinary as Manchester City talisman Kevin De Bruyne is, he is not rated as highly in Spain.
Considering the £54 million (Guardian) man is one of the best midfielders of his generation, this revelation comes as a shock.
However, Guillem Balague has revealed that Manchester City superstar Kevin De Bruyne is underrated in Spain.
Why Kevin De Bruyne is not rated that highly in Spain
Branded as an ‘understated genius’ by the Guardian, the Belgian maestro has been the outright best player in the Premier League since his arrival in 2015.
So much so that despite Erling Haaland being the standout player in the English top-flight this season, Gary Neville still believes the Sky Blues vice-captain is the ‘best player in the league.’
Despite Kevin De Bruyne winning the Player of the Year award for Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, setting the league assist record and doing incredible things for City domestically and in Europe, Guillem Balague has explained why he is not rated as highly in Spain.
“In a season where Manchester City are going to win the league and other things that should be relevant, it just doesn’t come natural for you to say, ‘Kevin De Bruyne, that’s it, best player of Manchester City, best player of the Premier League.’
He elaborated on BBC’s Football Daily podcast, saying, “In Spain, for instance, he’s seen as ‘he’s good.’ But not like, ‘Oh my god, Kevin De Bruyne, Real Madrid and Barcelona should be fighting for him.’ Not at all. Partly because we got a few Kevin De Bruyne’s or have had in recent years, so it’s like, ‘yeah, we see what he can do. But it’s not difficult because we got others that can do that.’
MCN View: Proves De Bruyne still remains underappreciated
Unlike in Spain, it seems like those in England appreciate that Kevin De Bruyne is one of the greatest midfielders they have ever seen since he signed for Manchester City in 2015.
Perhaps that stems from Spanish fans not following the Premier League as intently.
Or with City’s disappointing exits in the Champions League, De Bruyne being their standout performer in Europe since the takeover is brushed under the carpet.
Another factor could even be how understated the four-time Premier League winner is but this just goes to show that in some parts of the world, the wizard’s magic is not heralded as it should be.
