Mohamed Salah has told Kevin De Bruyne that there is space for him in Liverpool’s squad next season. De Bruyne is leaving Manchester City at the end of the campaign after a decade with the club, having been told his contract at the Etihad Stadium will not be renewed.
De Bruyne has cemented his legacy as one of the best players in Premier League history but has struggled with injuries in recent years, and his fitness problems combined with his high salary led to City taking the decision to let him go at the end of June.
Salah — who criticized Liverpool’s fans over last weekend’s boos for Trent Alexander-Arnold — was asked in an interview with Sky Sports if he had a message for De Bruyne ahead of his departure and ended it with a cheeky message for the Belgian. He said: “I want to tell him congratulations for your career. He has done a phenomenal job for City, he was great for the league and I really wish him the best. And, yeah, we have a space for him!”
De Bruyne said in April that he was surprised by City’s decision not to offer him a contract extension beyond this summer. “I have not had any offer the whole year, they just took a decision,” De Bruyne said of City‘s decision to release him. “Obviously, I was a bit surprised but I just have to accept it. Honestly, I still think I can perform at this level like I’m showing, but I understand clubs have to make decisions.”
Earlier this month, a report emerged on the Gianluca Di Marzio website which said that Liverpool had made De Bruyne a shock offer to move to Anfield in the summer, but that claim was quickly shot down by reputable UK journalists.
While signing De Bruyne would go against the transfer policy that Liverpool usually implements — prioritizing signing players in their early to mid-20s — De Bruyne could be viewed a special case due to how good he is.
Most Reds fans would agreed that a short-term deal on modest wages would make it worthwhile to take a punt on the 33-year-old, who many view to be the greatest midfielder in the history of the Premier League.
(Image: Getty Images)
From De Bruyne’s perspective, there are a multitude of reasons why a switch to Anfield might appeal. De Bruyne recently said he is “open to anything”, which suggests he would not flat-out refuse a move to Liverpool just because the club has emerged as one of City’s biggest rivals over the last decade.
De Bruyne also said he will look to do what’s best for his family; joining Liverpool, another club in the north west of England, would allow him to remain in his Cheshire home and mean he would not be uprooting his wife and their three children.
Also, It’s no secret that De Bruyne was a Liverpool fan when he was growing up. “My favorite club is Liverpool and my favorite player is Michael Owen,” an 11-year-old De Bruyne admitted in old video footage. “And I would love to play there one day.”
