Kevin De Bruyne will be a free agent this summer after announcing he will leave Manchester City when his contract expires. The legendary midfielder will exit the Etihad at the end of the season after a trophy-filled decade in Manchester.
De Bruyne’s impact has been reduced by a number of injuries over the last couple of seasons, however, his superb performance against Crystal Palace last Saturday shows that the 33-year-old still has plenty to offer.
The bookies have opened up the transfer markets concerning De Bruyne’s next club, as we look ahead to the next chapter in his stellar career.
| Club | Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Any MLS Team | 4/5 | bet365 |
| Any Saudi Arabian Team | 3/1 | bet365 |
| Bayern Munich | 10/1 | bet365 |
| PSG | 10/1 | bet365 |
| Inter Milan | 10/1 | bet365 |
| Liverpool | 12/1 | bet365 |
| AC Milan | 16/1 | bet365 |
| Wolfsburg | 18/1 | bet365 |
| Real Madrid | 20/1 | bet365 |
| Genk | 25/1 | bet365 |
| Atletico Madrid | 33/1 | bet365 |
| River Plate | 40/1 | bet365 |
| Girona | 50/1 | bet365 |
| Man City | 66/1 | bet365 |
| Celtic | 66/1 | bet365 |
| Rangers | 66/1 | bet365 |
De Bruyne to the MLS?
Major League Soccer is the current favourite with the bookies regarding De Bruyne’s next club. A new challenge, lifestyle, commercial opportunities and, given his injury issues of the last couple of years, a less demanding fixture list, are all factors that the Belgian international might find attractive.
David Beckham’s Inter Miami have been mentioned, while the Chicago Fire, NYCFC and D.C. United are all reported to have expressed an interest.
A move to any MLS club is currently priced at 4/5 with bet365. Given the options that De Bruyne is likely to have in Europe, we feel that this is a little short.
Saudi Switch for De Bruyne?
The Saudi Pro League has attracted world class talents like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema recently. The growing strength of the league and the financial package on offer could tempt De Bruyne to follow suit.
However, De Bruyne has indicated that he may not be ready for Saudi Arabia just yet and we feel that 3/1 is on the short side.
Premier League Stay Not Ruled Out
De Bruyne produced an excellent performance at the weekend to help City turn around a two-goal deficit to record a 5-2 win over Crystal Palace. The midfielder has refused to rule out a transfer to another Premier League club. In an interview with Viaplay De Bruyne acknowledged that joining another team in the English top flight “could be possible”.
Liverpool is currently priced at 12/1 with bet365 and De Bruyne’s class, experience and leadership would be a huge asset to the Premier League leaders both domestically and in Europe.
It also presents an interesting challenge for De Bruyne, who may be keen to prove that he can still perform at the highest level, despite enduring a frustrating time with injury. If it were to happen, parallels could be drawn with Luis Suarez leaving Barcelona for Atletico Madrid, with the Catalan club opting not to extend the Uruguayan’s contract.
12/1 with bet365 could be tempting, and Liverpool, in the past, have acquired players at the end of their Man City contracts, examples being James Milner and Kolo Toure.
However, after agreeing a contract extension for Mo Salah, and with a similar deal possible for Virgil Van Dyke, it is questionable whether the Anfield board will risk signing another veteran, whatever their pedigree. It also remains to be seen whether the player would want to put his legacy at Man City at risk by making this move.
Bayern Munich? De Bruyne Reunion With Kompany?
Could De Bruyne seek a new challenge in the Bundesliga? If so, there could be the possibility of him linking up with former teammate Vincent Kompany at Bayern Munich. The two enjoyed success both at Man City and with the Belgian National Team and 10/1 with bet365 could represent decent value.
However, Bayern may have other transfer priorities this summer, not least competing with City for a player they may have lined up as De Bruyne’s replacement, Florian Wirtz of Bayer Leverkusen.
