Manchester City have completed the signing of Kevin De Bruyne from VFL Wolfsburg in a deal with a reported fee of over £50million.
The midfielder, who finished top of the European league assists charts last season with 20, has moved to Manchester in an undisclosed deal on a six year contract and will wear the number 17 shirt for the Citizens, becoming the fourth summer signing for Manuel Pellegrini.
De Bruyne had a brief spell in the Premier League, making three appearances for City’s title rivals Chelsea between 2012 and 2014. He was loaned to the club where he made his professional debut, Genk and German side Werder Bremen before signing a permanent deal with VFL Wolfsburg for a fee of £16.7million. During his time at Wolfsburg he scored 20 goals in 72 appearances in all competitions.
The Belgian is a versatile midfielder who can play anywhere across a front three and will most likely be deployed by Manuel Pellegrini in a wide right role accompanying David Silva and fellow summer signing Raheem Sterling behind Sergio Aguero.
City’s new signing has shown his value in the Bundesliga by not only topping the European assist charts but finishing second in the chances created tables behind Dimitri Payet, now of West Ham, finishing higher than Lionel Messi and Eden Hazard.
During his time at Wolfsburg, De Bruyne added to his honours won in Belgian football by winning the DFB-Pokal, the German Cup, as well as the DFL-Supercup, the German equivalent of the Community Shield and helped his team to runners-up in the Bundesliga last season.
He also received personal accolades during his time in Germany, picking up the Bundesliga Player of the Year for 2014-15 and the Footballer of the Year in Germany for 2015. De Bruyne won the Bundesliga Young Player of the Season whilst on loan at Werder Bremen back in the 2012-13 season.
Manchester City’s new signing, who had the option to play for England through his mother’s birth place, will no doubt be looking to hit the ground running after the international break and could make his City debut away at Crystal Palace on September 12th.
