Kevin De Bruyne ‘agrees to Man City exit’ after dropping hint and snubbing Pep Guardiola

Manchester City midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne is targeting a sensational move to Al-Ittihad, with the Belgian wizard keen to experience life in Saudi Arabia.

Italian journalist Rudy Galetti, writing for TEAMtalk, reports that Manchester City midfielder De Bruyne has agreed personal terms to join Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad. If he makes the move, De Bruyne would join former Liverpool midfielder Fabinho and French star N’Golo Kante. Former playmaker Houssem Aouar is also at the Saudi club these days.

With just a year left on his current contract at the Etihad, speculation is rife over De Bruyne’s future and it seems the lure of Saudi Arabia’s lucrative offers is too tempting to resist. Now 33, he could be on his way out of Manchester City early.

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Negotiations are heating up as the Saudi champions and City discuss the transfer fee, paving the way for De Bruyne to bid farewell to the Premier League with a year left on his contract.

The move follows De Bruyne’s candid admission last month of his openness to exploring opportunities in Saudi Arabia, especially given the financial benefits at this stage of his career. He remarked via the Daily Mirror: “At my age you have to be open to anything. You’re talking about incredible amounts of money in what could be the end of my career.”

“Sometimes you have to think about it,” he continued. “If I play there (Saudi Arabia) for two years, I will be able to earn an incredible amount of money. Before that I had to play football for 15 years. I might not reach that amount yet. Then you have to think about what that might mean next, but at the moment I didn’t have to think about it.

Pep Guardiola, the Man City gaffer whose contract is up, has made no secret of his desire for De Bruyne to hang up his boots at the club. Last season, he shared his thoughts: “It’s a question for him,” he said. “I would like him to stay, but I don’t know.”

Guardiola also mentioned: “I’ve heard some links, but I don’t know if there’s an offer; I don’t know if Saudi Arabia wants him. I’d like him to stay until the end of his career, but everybody’s everybody.”

Liverpool.com says: De Bruyne marked his name as one of the smartest signings in the Premier League during his time with Manchester City. Since arriving from Wolfsburg, he has won six Premier League crowns, won a Champions League title, won two FA Cups and celebrated five League Cup victories. Without him, Manchester City would be weaker and that means Liverpool could benefit (although the Etihad side won’t be short of cash to find a replacement).