If a report from renowned Italian journalist Gianluca DiMarzio is believed to be true, Liverpool have tabled an offer for Kevin De Bruyne, who will be a free agent in July after ten glorious seasons with Manchester City. But the Reds are not alone in the race, with Serie A leaders Napoli also pushing for a Bosman transfer.
The iconic Belgian, lauded as one of the greatest midfielders ever to grace the Premier League, will be 34 next month. While a move for an ageing star does not fit Liverpool’s policy, De Bruyne’s mastery, greatness and profound experience in English football must have convinced them to compromise the usual practice of buying young prospects.
Despite growing up a Liverpool supporter, the Belgium legend spent a decade rivalling his boyhood club. He spent his youth years with KVV Drongen, Gent and Genk before breaking into the latter’s senior set-up.
Chelsea, known for spotting and developing talents across the globe, snapped him up for a fee in the region of £7m back in 2012. De Bruyne was destined to make it big in Europe, but the Blues failed to offer him enough opportunities, even though he impressed on loan at Werder Bremen.
His successful stint in the Bundesliga led to a £18m transfer to Wolfsburg in January 2014. He was key to the Wolves’ back-to-back Cup triumphs during his one-and-a-half-year spell, and the SkyBlues, already a supreme force, splashed a then-club record fee of £55m to secure his services. The City great conquered six Premier League titles, one Champions League, five League Cups and two FA Cup silverware with an opportunity to win the third as a parting gift, having made it to the final.
Why Liverpool Are Chasing De Bruyne
Meanwhile, Liverpool have clinched the English crown but are set to lose Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has decided to run down his Anfield contract to join Real Madrid. This has sparked controversy in Merseyside, as the club would not only miss his creativity from the right-hand flank but also suffer a significant financial loss due to his Bosman exit. It won’t be possible to replace his vision, passing range and set-piece traits immediately, but a move for De Bruyne could be viewed as a tactical short-term fix.
The Belgian won’t slot in as a right fullback but would offer directness and creative spark from the middle of the park if deployed as a cameo. Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz could not replicate the numbers of Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino upfront, but the club played it smart by replacing the likes of Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Georginio Wijnaldum in midfield with more productive outlets in the form of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch.
The Reds previously brought in Kolo Toure and Milner upon the expiration of their Etihad contracts. Both of them served the club with grace and honour, and De Bruyne could emulate their success if he chooses to stay in England over uniting with his friend and compatriot Romelu Lukaku in Naples under Antonio Conte.
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