Saudi Arabia want to play the long game for Manchester City superstar – Free transfer on cards

Manchester City could yet lose one of their greatest ever footballers on a free transfer, with Saudi Arabia willing to play the long game for the player, according to a report.

The club and their recruitment officials are entering a crucial phase regarding the future of their first-team stars, with an incredibly important summer transfer window now on the horizon.

The upcoming window could also be the last opportunity to refresh Manchester City’s squad to work under Pep Guardiola, with uncertainty growing over the Catalan’s long-term future at the Etihad Stadium.

With the 53-year-old’s contract expiring at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, many are wondering if Guardiola could opt to end his spell at the club just before the elusive decade mark.

Another figure who has been an exemplary mainstay of the club’s operation for the better part of a decade is Kevin De Bruyne, who joined the club in 2015 and is also entering the final year of his contract at the football club.

Now, according to The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, it is claimed that the Saudi Arabian clubs are willing to wait for two of the Premier League’s biggest names, Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah, if they cannot secure them this summer.

With both men on contracts that expire at the end of next season, they would be free to talk to foreign clubs within eight months about a pre-contract agreement for the upcoming 2025/26 campaign.

The Telegraph report that while Kevin De Bruyne has shown no signs of being unsettled at Manchester City, such an attitude has not stopped Saudi Arabia’s interest in the 32-year-old, who remains a key player in Pep Guardiola’s operation.

Manchester City are familiar with negotiations with clubs in Saudi Arabia, having dealt with their Middle Eastern counterparts on several occasions during last summer’s transfer window and in some cases reaching agreements on to agreements.

Aymeric Laporte and Riyad Mahrez ended their respective careers at Manchester City by joining the ambitious Saudi Pro League, while moves were also made for Bernardo Silva and Joao Cancelo.

For now, De Bruyne is being maintained as a top target for the SPL, although if any deal involving Manchester City was to be completed this summer then the Belgian is expected to command a price tag of over £100m.