De Bruyne ‘agrees’ Man City exit as Guardiola eyes several blockbuster replacements

Kevin De Bruyne has reportedly agreed personal terms with a club from Saudi Arabia and Pep Guardiola is already considering his options.

The Belgian playmaker is now in the final year of his contract with Man City and the speculation surrounding his future has been rife of late.

He spent the first half of last season injured on the sidelines but made the difference in the second half of the campaign upon his return.

In the Premier League alone he managed to produce 14 goal contributions in just 18 appearances, highlighting his importance to Guardiola’s side.

While he’s still more than good enough to cut it at the top level, it seems like a move to Saudi Arabia is of interest to De Bruyne.

His former teammate Riyad Mahrez made the switch to Al-Ahli last summer and is now reportedly earning over £800,000 per week.

According to reports in Italy, De Bruyne has ‘agreed personal terms’ with Al-Ittihad ahead of a blockbuster move this summer.

Al-Ittihad already have the likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Fabinho on their books. However, Kante could be on his way back to the Premier League with West Ham reportedly interested.

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The Saudi club endured a tough campaign in 2023-24 as they finished fifth in the league and went trophyless.

With Laurent Blanc’s side keen to improve ahead of next season, it makes sense that they are targeting a player like De Bruyne.

As of writing, Al-Ittihad are still in negotiations with Man City over a transfer fee, but De Bruyne himself seems open to making the move.

During an interview last month, the Belgian playmaker hinted that he was interested in making a move to the Middle East.

“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,” De Bruyne said.

“Sometimes you have to think about that. 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.”

If the 33-year-old does depart this summer, Man City will have a big task on their hands to find a suitable replacement.

As reported by TEAMtalk reporter Rudy Galetti , the Premier League champions are targeting the likes of Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Joao Neves and Xavi Simons as potential De Bruyne replacements.

Stepping into the shoes of a player like De Bruyne is no easy task but Guardiola’s side certainly have the financial muscles to replace him.

More: Man City | Kevin De Bruyne | Pep Guardiola