Kevin De Bruyne details plans about his future at Manchester City amid exit rumours
Manchester City veteran Kevin De Bruyne has talked about his future plans amid speculations of his departure next season. De Bruyne joined the Sky Blues from VfL Wolfsburg in 2015 for a reported transfer fee of €76 million.
De Bryune has been exemplary for City over the years. In 397 games across competitions, he has scored 104 goals and created 171. In the Premier League, he's just two assists shy of beating Cesc Fabregas (118) and becoming the second-highest assist provider.
The Belgian's £400,000-a-week contract expires at the end of this season, and MLS outfit San Diego FC is interested in signing the Belgian (as per Give Me Sport) . However, De Bruyne explained in an interview with Sky Sports that he isn't sure of his future.
"That's what we often see and read a lot. People seem to know more than me, so maybe I need to talk to people! I haven't spoken to anyone at the moment. It's not the time, it's definitely not the right time. I'm fine, I'm happy, I'm doing my job. Everything will come at the right time and everything will be fine," he said (via Football Mercato).
Talking about his injury issues and fitness, the Belgian superstar continued:
“Obviously sometimes it takes a little bit longer to recover. I had a big injury last year but when I came back, obviously it took a while after being out for six months but I think I played really well and when I came back in the summer I felt really, really good, which was actually a surprise for me after not having had a pre-season. Unfortunately that hamstring injury came in September and it didn’t become a pleasant situation."
He added:
"But I still feel like I can make a difference. If I can do that I’ll be happy to play football. For sure if I feel it’s getting harder and harder I’ll have to make a decision. But I still feel good playing football, I enjoy playing football, that’s the main thing for me.”
According to Give Me Sport, Kevin De Bruyne will have to take a huge paycut if he wants to extend his contract with the Premier League giants.
The Belgian will reportedly discuss his contract situation with Manchester City's director of football Txiki Begiristain and other influential figures in the coming weeks.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola reportedly wants to sign Joshua Kimmich as Rodri's replacement
According to The Sun, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola wants to sign Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich as a replacement for Ballon d'Or-winning midfielder Rodri.
During City's 2-2 home draw with Arsenal in September, Rodr got injured and was diagonosed with a long-term ACL injury, which sidelined him for the rest of the season.
Manchester City have suffered in his absence, with just one win in their last 10 matches across competitions. They are fifth in the Premier League with 27 points in 16 games, nine points behind leaders Liverpool (36).
Joshua Kimmich, meanwhile, has been one of the star players for Vincent Kompany's side this season, having played every minute of every game. However, the 29-year-old has entered the last year of his contract and might look to play elsewhere next season.
It remains to be seen whether Kimmich leaves for the Etihad next season or extends his contract with the German giants.