6 days ago
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Kevin De Bruyne has confirmed he will leave Manchester City at the end of the season after 10 years at the Etihad Stadium. The Belgian is the most decorated player in the club’s history, having won 16 medals since joining from Wolfsburg in 2015.
The City’s captain contract expires at the end of June. De Bruyne has struggled physically in recent years and Pep Guardiola has admitted he needs players who can cope with the rigours of playing twice a week.
In a social media post that began “Dear Manchester”, De Bruyne wrote: “These will be be my final months as a Manchester City player. Nothing about this is easy to write but as football players we all know this day eventually comes. That day is here – and you deserve to hear it from me first.”
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De Bruyne, who will be 34 in June, added: “This city. This club. These people … gave me EVERYTHING. I had no choice but to give EVERYTHING back! And guess what – we won EVERYTHING. Whether we like it or not, it’s time to say goodbye … Every story comes to an end but this has definitely been the best chapter. Let’s enjoy these last moments together.”
The news comes as City prepare to play at Manchester United on Sunday. De Bruyne could win a final medal for the club in the FA Cup, with City facing a semi-final against Nottingham Forest this month.
Last June De Bruyne, who earns about £400,000 a week, indicated he could be open to a move to Saudi Arabia. “At my age you have to be open to everything,” he said. “You’re talking about incredible amounts of money in what may be the end of my career. Sometimes you have to think about that. If I play there 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.”
