Kevin de Bruyne was not intending to leave Manchester City this summer and expected a new deal to be offered to him.
That’s according to De Standaard, who cover the Manchester City star and how he is ‘not ready for the desert yet’.
De Bruyne is set to leave Manchester City at the end of the season, having announced his decision earlier this month in an open letter to fans.
Where he ends up next remains to be seen, with his recent exceptional display in the win over Crystal Palace seen as a sign that he’s not yet finished playing at the top of European football.
A move to MLS or Saudi Arabia has been mooted, but De Standard report that he is ‘not ready for the desert yet’. In fact, it seems De Bruyne was not planning to leave Manchester City.
De Standard report that the Belgian star has initially expected an extended stay at the Etihad, but he now has a ‘clouded relationship’ with Manchester City.
That was due to how this season has panned out and, after Manchester City went big in the January transfer window, the financial margins at the club narrowed. So much so that they now can’t keep De Bruyne on board for longer.
The midfielder will now assess his options in the coming weeks and has publically failed to rule out staying in the Premier League.
Any choice he makes will be a family orientated one. He wants to ensure his wife, and three children are comfortable wherever they end up. He hasn’t definitively ruled out Saudi Arabia, tough.
Indeed, he has a relationship with the CEO of the Saudi Pro League, Michael Emenalo, as he’s the man who took him to Chelsea in 2012.
However, De Bruyne would prefer to remain playing football at the highest level, particularly now he’s injury free, and believes that interesting offers will come on that front. He’ll weigh up salary, standard of living and sporting level before making his choice.
He hadn’t initially planned to leave Manchester City, though, with their disastrous season and January transfer window instead leading to a change of plans.
