Kevin De Bruyne 'agrees Man City transfer exit' after dropping hint and ignoring Pep Guardiola

Manchester City's midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne has his sights set on a sensational switch to Al-Ittihad , with the Belgian wizard eager to experience life in Saudi Arabia.

Italian journalist Rudy Galetti, writing for TEAMtalk , reports that Manchester City midfielder De Bruyne has agreed personal terms to join Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad. If he does make the move, De Bruyne would join up with former Liverpool midfielder Fabinho and French star N'Golo Kante. Ex-Lyon playmaker Houssem Aouar is also at the Saudi club these days.

With just one year left on his current deal at the Etihad, speculation is rife about De Bruyne's future, and it seems the allure of Saudi Arabia's lucrative offers is too tempting to resist. Now 33, he could make an early exit from Manchester City .

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Negotiations are heating up as the Saudi champions and City discuss the transfer fee, paving the way for De Bruyne to bid farewell to the Premier League with a year still left on his contract.

This move follows De Bruyne's candid admission last month about his openness to exploring opportunities in Saudi Arabia, especially considering the financial benefits at this stage of his career. He remarked via the Daily Mirror : "At my age, you have to be open to everything. You're talking about incredible amounts of money in what may be the end of my career."

"Sometimes you have to think about that," he continued. "If I play there [Saudi Arabia] for two years, I will be able to earn an incredible amount of money. Before that I had to play football for 15 years. I may not even reach that amount yet. Then you have to think about what that could mean next. But at the moment I haven't had to think about that yet."

Pep Guardiola , the gaffer at Man City whose own contract is ticking down, has made no secret of his desire for De Bruyne to hang up his boots at the club. Last season, he shared his thoughts: "It's a question for him," he said. "I'd love him to stay but I don't know."

Guardiola also mentioned: "I heard some links but I don't know if there's an offer; I don't know if Saudi Arabia wants him. I would love him to stay until the end of his career, but everyone is everyone."

Liverpool.com says: De Bruyne has etched his name as one of the Premier League's most astute acquisitions during his spell with Manchester City. Since arriving from Wolfsburg, he's clinched six Premier League crowns, bagged a Champions League title, lifted two FA Cups, and celebrated five League Cup victories. Without him, Manchester City would be weaker and that means Liverpool could potentially benefit (albeit the Etihad side won't be short of cash to source a replacement).