Kevin De Bruyne has undoubtedly been a very important player for Manchester City.
Having joined the Manchester club back in 2015, the midfielder is the longest-serving player in the City squad.
At the age of 33, the Belgian currently has just one year left on his contract at the Etihad Stadium.
Recently, De Bruyne has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad, who he has reportedly verbally agreed to join this summer.
On the subject of that prospect, we think that this may not be as disastrous for Pep Guardiola’s side as it may seem on the face of it.
Kevin De Bruyne’s potential Saudi Arabia exit might not be a bad thing for Man City
Having scored 102 goals and delivered 170 assists in 382 appearances for the Blues, winning many trophies along the way, De Bruyne’s status as one of City’s greatest players cannot be questioned.
Despite missing a large chunk of last season after having surgery to fix a serious hamstring issue, the Belgian still managed to show how effective he can be by scoring four goals and delivering 10 assists in 18 Premier League appearances.
De Bruyne’s future could be a key factor in City’s summer transfer plans
While this may make it seem like a big blow if City were to sell the midfield star, the prospect of selling him for a significant fee could allow the Manchester club to bring in a suitable replacement rather than see him complete the final year of his deal and then leave on a free if he doesn’t sign a new deal.
Also, with Phil Foden scoring 19 goals and delivering eight assists in 35 top-flight games last season, he has shown he’s got what it takes to be a key goal contributor from pretty much anywhere on the pitch, including a central midfield role.
Moving forward, unless City are wanting to offer De Bruyne a new deal, perhaps if his head has been turned towards a move to the Middle East, they should do all they can to get as big a fee for him as possible and find a way to replace someone who has been one of the best players English football has ever seen.
