Kevin De Bruyne’s (Manchester City) much-anticipated move to Saudi Arabia appears to be a reality.
On Thursday, soccer transfer market expert Rudi Galletti posted on social media that “Al Ittihad and Der Bruyne have verbally agreed on a deal. After speaking with spokespeople from the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund (PIF), they have approved the transfer.” “Now it’s up to Manchester City to decide. The club is open-minded about his departure,” he wrote.
Der Bruyne is a symbol of City’s glory days. After a stellar 2014-2015 season with Wolfsburg (Germany), where he scored 10 goals and provided 21 assists, he moved to City after the season.
From then on, the best years were ahead for him and City. In nine seasons, Der Bruyne played 382 games for City, scoring 102 goals and providing 170 assists. City were also at their peak with him, winning six league titles, including the English Premier League’s (EPL) first-ever “back-to-back” title, and the coveted UEFA Champions League.
However, in the 2023-2024 season, he was out of the team for a long period of time due to injury, which didn’t help City much. Still, he 먹튀검증 proved the saying ‘class never goes out of style’ with 4 goals and 10 assists in 18 league games.
De Bruyne’s contract ends in June 2025. If he wants to renew his contract, he needs to do it now, but there’s been no sign of a deal. In the meantime, the Middle East, especially the Saudi Arabian League, which has long coveted the player, continues to express interest in him. If the move is finalized, City will need to receive a transfer fee in line with the player’s value, which shouldn’t be a problem for Saudi Arabian clubs armed with ‘oil money’.
“When you get to my age, you have to consider all your options,” De Bruyne said last month, adding that “my wife is fine with the idea of living elsewhere. Now I have to think about my future,” he said, adding, “I’ve been playing soccer for 15 years now, and if I play two years in Saudi Arabia, I’ll make more money (than I did in 15 years).” The Brazilian’s move to Saudi Arabia is likely to be as shocking as Cristiano Ronaldo’s (Al-Nasr) arrival in the Saudi Arabian league.