Pep Guardiola breaks silence on Kevin De Bruyne’s Manchester City exit comments | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has addressed the frustration emanating from Kevin De Bruyne’s comments since the Belgian midfielder was told by club bosses he is not part of their plans beyond the summer.

De Bruyne will leave Manchester City in the coming months after being told he is not going to receive a new contract at the Etihad Stadium, with the 33-year-old’s current deal set to expire at the end of June.

The 2023 treble winners plan to erect a statue outside the Etihad Stadium to felicitate De Bruyne and pay homage to arguably the club’s greatest ever player, who played through a hamstring injury to lead his side to a historic treble and their maiden Champions League title in the 2022-23 campaign.

It remains to be seen where De Bruyne will be playing next season as the Belgium international looks to finish his final season at the Etihad Stadium on a high by leading City to a top five Premier League finish and an eighth FA Cup title in the club’s history.

Several clubs in the Major League Soccer and Saudi Pro League hold a long-standing interest in De Bruyne, who has interestingly refused to rule out a possible move to one of Manchester City’s rivals should he choose to stay in England.

De Bruyne will factor in his family when deciding his next club and the midfielder – who has been linked with Aston Villa and Chelsea in recent weeks – prefers the United States as a destination to move his family to over Saudi Arabia.

Since he announced this will be his final season with Manchester City, De Bruyne has indicated in a number of interviews he wanted to stay on and that it was the club’s decision in the end to not tie down their best player to a new deal – much to the playmaker’s frustration.

Speaking in a press conference prior to City’s 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup semi-final on Sunday, Guardiola was asked about De Bruyne’s comments and a tangible sense of frustration in the midfielder’s comments on how the club handled talks.

“We wish, I wish, personally for him (De Bruyne) and his family, on behalf of all the club, all the best. He behaved unbelievably all these years, this month, until the end,” the Manchester City manager said on Friday.

“He’s trained really good, playing and helping with his skills and talents. I know he wants the best for Manchester City,” Guardiola finished in his press conference as his side went on to see off Forest in the semi-final with De Bruyne on the bench to set up an FA Cup final date with Crystal Palace.