Kevin De Bruyne has announced he will leave Manchester City at the end of the season, ending a 10-year spell with the club.
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De Bruyne to leave Manchester City
The Belgium international will leave this summer as a free agent, with his contract at the Etihad Stadium expiring after the campaign.
“Seeing this, you probably realise where this is heading,” he said in a post on social media.
“So I’ll get straight to it and let you all know that these will 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.”
“Football led me to all of you — and to this city. Chasing my dream, not knowing this period would change my life. 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. Suri, Rome, Mason, Michèle, and I are beyond grateful for what this place has meant to our family. ‘Manchester’ will forever be on our kids’ passports — and more importantly, in each of our hearts. This will always be our home.”
“One of the greatest midfielders”
De Bruyne joined City as a 24-year-old from Wolfsburg in 2015, and he quickly established himself as one of the Premier League’s best midfielders.
In De Bruyne’s 10 years at the club, City has won 16 trophies, including six Premier League titles, five Carabao Cups, two FA Cups, two Community Shields, and a Champions League.
The 33-year-old has also been named Premier League Player of the Season twice (2019-20, 2021-22).
In 413 appearances for the club, he has scored 106 goals and registered 174 assists.
De Bruyne’s playmaking has earned him the second-most assists in Premier League history with 118, behind Ryan Giggs (162).
“One of the greatest midfielders ever to have played in this country, and I think with Manchester City, there is no doubt,” said City manager Pep Guardiola.
“Greatest not The Greatest, always you have to be careful with players that played at Maine Road [City’s former stadium], incredible players in the last 20-30 years in this club [too].”
“But come on, there’s no doubt he’s one of the greatest for sure because of his consistency in important games, the not important games, being there every three days all the time. There is no doubt.”
Guardiola revealed that he had known about De Bruyne’s departure a few days before it was announced.
“A sad day. A happy day for the fact that [I had] the pleasure personally [to] live with him. He gave all of us his humility and with his influence in our success in the last decade, that would have been impossible to imagine without him.”
