Kevin De Bruyne hinted he is open to joining another Premier League team after his departure from Manchester City.
The Belgian has been linked to a move to either the USA or Saudi Arabia this summer, but nothing has been decided.
There is still a scenario that could see him remain in England’s top flight too.
De Bruyne confirmed last week he will depart from the defending Premier League champions at the end of the season when his contract expires.
But the soon to be free agent refused to rule out a move which keeps him in England.
“Honestly I don’t know,” he said. “The decision to leave has not been long.
“I have to speak to them and then I will see whichever team wants me. So I don’t know. I have no idea”
The 33-year-old is arguably Man City’s best ever player, having won six Premier League titles, five Carabao Cups, two FA Cups and a Champions League, during his ten years at the club.
In 414 appearances he netted 106 goals and assisted 176.
De Bruyne will leave a void near impossible to fill, a statement Man City manager Pep Guardiola agrees with.
“Our success in the last decade, that would be impossible without him,” said Guardiola.
De Bruyne reportedly earns a base salary of £400,000 per week — a figure many teams may be unwilling to pay for the 33-year-old attacking midfielder
It’s near unimaginable that he will join rivals Liverpool and Arsenal but that has not stopped fans joking across social media.
A young De Bruyne was once filmed saying: “My favourite team is Liverpool and my favourite player is Michael Owen.”
He is also close friends with Reds defender Virgil van Dijk, with their kids even attending the same school.
Speaking in 2022, De Bruyne said: “I know Virgil… me and Virgil see each other a lot. Our children go to the same school and they like to play together, so it was just a friendly chat.”
Likewise to Man City, Newcastle have Saudi Arabian investment and could possibly afford high wages.
His performance on Saturday, during Man City’s 5-2 comeback win over Crystal Palace, showed that his wages are a small price to pay for the impact he brings to the team.
He scored Man City’s first goal, whipping in a 25-yard free-kick off the post.
The hosts then took the lead with De Bruyne setting up Mateo Kovacic.
Morgan Gibbs-White and Florian Wirtz are on Man City’s radar but to cover the void left by De Bruyne current squad players must shoulder the creative responsibility.
