Jeremy Doku issues heartfelt tribute to Kevin De Bruyne ahead of Manchester City exit | OneFootball

Kevin De Bruyne has received emotional words of praise in a new message issued by Manchester City teammate Jeremy Doku ahead of his Etihad Stadium exit.

The Belgian midfielder will be calling time on his legendary stay at Manchester City this summer when he exits the club upon the expiry of his final contract with the club after a decision was taken by those in boardroom roles not to negotiate an extension.

The move and decision taken by Manchester City officials comes at a time when the club are ready to oversee a rebuild to some extent via the transfer window this summer, with a number of arrivals and departures anticipated from the first-team squad.

Hugo Viana is due to take on the role of sporting director to replace Txiki Begiristain after 12 seasons at the Etihad Stadium, with arrivals anticipated at goalkeeper, central midfield, and the creative midfield roles.

And since Kevin De Bruyne announced his own exit from the Etihad Stadium earlier this month, an outpouring of love and support for the outstanding achievements of the midfielder has landed from the football community.

Speaking to Manchester City’s official club website, Jeremy Doku has been keen to insist upon the legendary status secured by De Bruyne during his 10-year career at the Etihad Stadium since arriving in 2015.

“He’s a legend here, he’s a legend and he’s won a lot of trophies. He’ll leave a lot of great memories.

“The fans are crazy about him and that’s normal because he’s given so much to this Club,” Doku admitted.

The Manchester City winger continued, “He’s won a lot of trophies. When I look at the team, he’s the guy who was always there.

“He was the first, in fact, here, between all of us. He was even here before Pep. So, he really is a legend here and he deserves a lot of respect.”

“There’s still the FA Cup to play for. We’re going to give everything so that he can leave with a trophy, and, in any case, he deserves a lot of respect for everything he’s done for this Club.

“He’s a legend, as I said.”

It remains to be seen how Manchester City go about replacing a player of Kevin De Bruyne’s stature and importance during the upcoming transfer window, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz believed to be the priority.

The Germany international will not arrive at the Etihad Stadium without a major battle and a significant financial investment however, with Manchester City likely to face competition from Bayern Munich and Real Madrid for a player valued at around £150 million.