Kevin de Bruyne 'wants to quit Man City and move to the MLS'

Kevin de Bruyne ‘wants to quit Man City and move to the MLS’

Kevin de Bruyne is keen to leave Man City at the end of the season and pursue a move to MLS outfit San Diego FC amid growing speculation over his future.

That is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that the 33-year-old’s time in the Premier League is coming to an end.

As things stand, the Belgian international is set to leave City on a free transfer come the end of the season, with no new contract offer on the table.

Football Insider first revealed that San Diego want to sign De Bruyne in November, as City planned to hold sit-down talks over the midfielder’s future at the club.

The California-based club are newcomers to the MLS this season, and remain keen to land a marquee signing to establish their presence in the division.

While interest from Saudi Pro League clubs is also said to have lingered, De Bruyne is thought to be interested in the move to the U.S.A. to see out his career.

Kevin de Bruyne is approaching the end of his Man City career. (Credit Imago)

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Man City plan to let Kevin de Bruyne leave and sign his replacement

Brown told Football Insider on 4 November that De Bruyne could agree a huge-money deal to join San Diego as City are now prepared to let him leave in the summer.

Now, the former scout who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, has explained that his physical decline means a move to the MLS would “suit him perfectly”.

“Man City think they’ve got too many older players,” he told Football Insider.

“De Bruyne is one of those, and they’re now prepared to let him move on when his contract runs out and then they’ll look for a younger replacement.

“He’s reached the end of his days with City in the Premier League.

“He’s still a fantastic technician, but just like everybody else, he’s lost his legs. Especially after the time he spent out with injuries, it’s hard to come back from that physically.

“There has been talk about a move to the MLS with San Diego, which I think would suit him perfectly.

“It’s similar to what we’ve seen Lionel Messi do, go out to America and play at a lower intensity.

“That’s a move De Bruyne now wants to make at this stage of his career.”

Pep Guardiola is assessing transfer plans at Man City. (Credit: Getty Images)

Pep Guardiola lines up Florian Wirtz deal to replace De Bruyne

As De Bruyne approaches the end of his City career, the club have already begun working in the background to identify potential replacements for him.

Brown told Football Insider on 20 February that Man City are planning to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, who is seen as the ideal attacking midfield option.

The 21-year-old has also attracted attention from Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, but City are prepared to rival the European giants in their pursuit of his signature.

As a result, work has already started behind the scenes to convince him of a move to Guardiola’s side and to get a deal over the line.

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