The Chicago Fire are favorites to sign Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne this summer, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions.
The Belgium international announced earlier this month that, after a decade at the club, he will leave City at the end of the season when his contract expires. De Bruyne, who will turn 34 in June, is one of the most decorated active players in the Premier League, having won 19 trophies at City and contributed 189 goals in his 10 seasons in England.
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De Bruyne previously engaged in discussions with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, which owned his discovery priority in MLS, a league mechanism that gives teams the right to negotiate with a player. However, Miami’s three designated player spots are already occupied by Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
The Fire were among three other MLS teams to express interest in signing the Belgian midfielder — D.C. United and NYCFC were the other two — and have moved to the front of the line to land the City legend. Chicago now holds the priority to negotiate with De Bruyne, and sources indicate that the Belgium captain would prefer a move to the MLS side over signing in Saudi Arabia.
De Bruyne, however, said last month that he would be open to remaining in the Premier League, and sources warned that other European options could always enter the picture as the season comes to a close.
“I’m open for anything, anything, just because I have to look at the whole picture,” De Bruyne said. “I’m looking at sporting, family, everything together, what makes the most sense for me and my family. I don’t know what that is, because it depends on when you speak to people and what they say about projects or something, like I said, I still feel like I can play at a good level, but then after I’ll have to make a decision once I really know a little bit more.”
De Bruyne would provide a huge boost to a Fire team that is currently in the midst of a makeover under former U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter. He would be the missing piece in attacking midfield behind Belgian countryman Hugo Cuypers, who is tied for the MLS lead with seven goals, and wingers Jonathan Bamba and Philip Zinckernagel.
The Fire have made the playoffs just once in the last 12 seasons. That came in 2017, when Bayern Munich legend Bastian Schweinsteiger signed with the club and led them to a third-place finish in the league’s Supporters’ Shield standings, the season-long single-table trophy.
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Schweinsteiger is one of a line of big-name stars who have played in Chicago in the club’s 27-year history. Most recently, Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri had a tremendously underwhelming three years in the Windy City in which he tallied just 14 goals and two assists in 69 matches. Hristo Stoichkov, the 1994 Ballon d’Or winner, played for the Fire from 2000-02, while Mexican legend Cuauhtémoc Blanco starred for Chicago from 2007-09.
Through 10 matches this season, Chicago sits 11th in the Eastern Conference, but just four points out of sixth place.
(Top photo: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images)
