Manchester City star Kevin de Bruyne has opened up on the possibility of finishing his career in the Saudi Pro League, with the vast sums of money on offer clearly a temptation for the Belgian star.
Kevin De Bruyne Open To Lucrative Saudi Pro League Opportunity
🚨 Kevin de Bruyne: “Saudi? At my age you have to be open to everything”.
“You're talking about incredible amounts of money in the last stage of my career, you have to think about that”.
“For my wife, an exotic adventure is okay. I have to think about my future”, told @HLN_BE. pic.twitter.com/JvMxQoV5YH
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 4, 2024
“I Have to Think about My Future”
Speaking to Belgian outlet HLN, the legendary midfielder evoked a possible move to the Middle East, with his current Manchester City contract set to expire at the end of next season, by which time he will have turned 34 years old:
“Saudi? At my age, you have to be open to everything. You’re talking about incredible amounts of money in the last stage of my career, you have to think about that. For my wife, an exotic adventure is okay. I have to think about my future.”
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He added: “If I play in Saudi for two years, I’ll be able to earn an incredible amount. Before that I had to play football for 15 years and I may not even reach that amount yet. You have to think about what that could mean next”
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Kevin de Bruyne’s Career at Manchester City
De Bruyne has been at Manchester City since 2015, having signed for £55 million from Bundesliga outfit VFL Wolfsburg to widespread derision from pundits and fans alike after an indifferent spell with Chelsea earlier in his career.
Since then, the Belgian has gone on to establish himself as one of the best midfielders in Premier League history, winning six Premier League titles, a UEFA Champions League and several domestic cups as a creative fulcrum of Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Manchester City juggernaut. In 382 games for the Citizens, he has registered 102 goals and a staggering 170 assists.
It is widely expected that the ambitious and extremely wealthy Saudi Pro League will continue its aggressive recruitment of European stars this summer, following the likes of N’Golo Kanté, Karim Benzema, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino last year.
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Whilst De Bruyne would be a huge name in the Saudi football crown, Al-Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo is still the biggest name in the Kingdom, the Portuguese reportedly earning over £200 million a season having been the first big European star to sign in late 2022.
Further development on the potential move is not expected until at least after the upcoming Euro 2024 championships in Germany, with De Bruyne set to captain Domenico Tedesco’s Belgium side in what will in all likelihood be his final international tournament for this country.
