Fresh contract discussions with 383-appearance Manchester City star deemed ‘unlikely’ as door kept open to Saudi Arabia exit | OneFootball

Contract discussions between Premier League champions Manchester City and one of their most legendary figures have been deemed ‘unlikely’ for the immediate future.

That concerns Kevin De Bruyne, who is rapidly approaching the final year of his current contract with the Premier League champions, as questions over his long-term future remain around global media.

Saudi Arabia are known to be keen on recruiting the player, viewing the potential signing of De Bruyne as transformative, and having a similar impact on the growth of their league as Cristiano Ronaldo during his arrival at Al-Nassr in 2022.

For now however, De Bruyne is likely to remain focussed on the immediate task at hand within Pep Guardiola’s squad as a new season approaches, but questions will remain over whether the upcoming season will be the Belgian’s final farewell.

According to the information of The Athletic’s Sam Lee, while Kevin De Bruyne’s current Manchester City contract expires in the summer of 2025, the club are ‘unlikely’ to enter into contract discussions in the immediate future.

De Bruyne recently kept the door open to a staggering Saudi Arabia switch in future, amid ongoing interest from the ambitious Middle-East division, crediting the amount of money as a crucial reason as to why it is an opportunity that should be considered.

“For Michele (De Bruyne’s wife), an exotic adventure is OK. These are also conversations that we are increasingly having as a family,” the Manchester City vice-captain told Belgian broadcaster VTM, according to newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.

“I still have one year of contract, so I have to think about what can happen. My eldest (child) is now eight years old and knows nothing but England. He also asks how long I will play at City. Once the time comes, we will have to deal with it in a certain way.”

De Bruyne continued, “At my age, you have to be open to everything. You talk about unbelievable amounts in what may be the end of my career. Sometimes you have to think about that.”

Questions will naturally remain over Kevin De Bruyne’s fitness situation too, with the Belgian having only featured for the second-half of last season for Manchester City, but still having a significant effect on the success of Pep Guardiola’s squad.

Across 26 appearances for Manchester City in all competitions last campaign, De Bruyne recorded an impressive six goals and a further 18 assists, claiming a fourth successive Premier League title in the process.