Pep Guardiola has firmly dismissed any speculation that Kevin De Bruyne will leave Manchester City this season, despite rumors linking the Belgium star to a move to Saudi Arabia.
Kevin De Bruyne, who has one year remaining on his City contract, recently hinted at the possibility of an overseas adventure, revealing conversations with his wife Michele about their future. “For Michele, an exotic adventure is OK,” De Bruyne said, suggesting a potential departure from the Premier League champions.
Reports had surfaced that Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad was interested in acquiring De Bruyne. However, UK press reports on Tuesday stated that City manager Guardiola had rejected the notion of allowing the 33-year-old midfielder to leave this season.
READ ALSO: Guardiola wants City’s financial charges resolved quickly
Speaking ahead of Manchester City’s friendly against Celtic in North Carolina, Guardiola told reporters, “Kevin isn’t leaving.”
De Bruyne, who returned from injury to help City secure a historic fourth successive Premier League title, has been an integral part of the team since joining from Wolfsburg in 2015. His tenure at City includes 15 major trophies, such as six Premier League titles and one Champions League crown.
Despite Guardiola’s confidence in retaining Kevin De Bruyne for the current season, the future remains uncertain beyond that.
Kevin De Bruyne acknowledged the complexity of his situation in a recent interview, stating, “My eldest (child) is now eight years old and knows nothing but England. He also asks how long I will play at City. Once the time comes, we will have to deal with it in a certain way.”
He added, “At my age, you have to be open to everything. You talk about unbelievable amounts at 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.”
Meanwhile, Guardiola mentioned that City is unlikely to make major changes to the squad before their Premier League season opener against Chelsea on August 18. Although Crystal Palace winger Eberechi Eze has been linked with a move to the champions and City goalkeeper Ederson has potential offers from Saudi Arabia, Guardiola expects minimal alterations.
“Of course, until the last day, we have chances (to make transfers); I don’t rule out the option of having new players, but I think there is an 85–90 percent chance we will have the same squad,” Guardiola said. “I feel comfortable because the quality of human beings we have in the squad is difficult to replace, and the quality is there. But we’ll see. I don’t know in the last moment if someone comes for some players and they leave; we’re going to decide. If someone leaves, we’re going to talk about that.”
