Champions League rivals contemplate an unexpected strategy to retain the Manchester City icon in England.
Kevin De Bruyne, a midfielder for Manchester City, is leaving the team at the end of the current campaign, but he might still have a place in the Premier League.
In an emotional speech at the start of April, De Bruyne revealed that he was leaving City.
Major League Soccer clubs have been lining up to bring him to the United States since links with Saudi Pro League clubs surfaced right away.
According to reports, New York City, controlled by the City Football Group, Chicago Fire, DC United, and Inter Miami have all looked into the MLS transactions required to sign the Belgian.
De Bruyne’s preferred course of action seems to be a link-up with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, the team that owns his MLS rights and would have to sell them away for anyone else to sign him.
However, it is now known that De Bruyne is hesitant to leave his family behind for a farewell party in Florida, and some Premier League recruitment teams have taken notice. According to Sky Sports News, Aston Villa has had “internal discussions” regarding the possibility of signing the six-time Premier League winner, who played 89 minutes in Man City’s crucial victory over the Villans on Tuesday. “It is the final year of his current contract and Villa could be interested in signing the 33-year-old midfielder when he departs City,” writes Melissa Reddy. “De Bruyne’s reluctance to uproot his family and prioritising his football and home life when deciding on his next destination has alerted several Premier League clubs.”
Villa’s odds of turning those discussions into genuine interest are low, but weirder things have happened.
Profit and sustainability regulations must be followed by Villa, and hiring a veteran on a high salary—even one of De Bruyne’s exceptional caliber—could make matters worse rather than better.
If Ollie Watkins were transferred in the summer, he would fetch a handsome transfer fee, but acquiring a top striker would take precedence right away.
Although De Bruyne’s abilities are waning, he has demonstrated that he could still enhance practically any squad when healthy.
When considering a surprise deal, City’s Premier League opponents must take into account his age and the lack of a sell-on fee, even though the Saudi Pro League and MLS would value him as a prestige signing.
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