Belgian star Kevin De Bruyne has not ruled out the possibility of joining another English Premier League club.
The end of De Bruyne’s chapter at Manchester City is drawing near, but his next destination remains unknown. Where will he go? Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has invited him to join the Premier League champions on a free transfer this summer. De Bruyne has not dismissed the chance of signing with another English club.
Earlier this month, De Bruyne announced that his decade-long spell at Manchester City will end after this season. It has been a tough campaign for Pep Guardiola’s team, which sealed a trophyless season after losing to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final on Saturday.
Since joining City in 2015, De Bruyne has played a key role in winning six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups, and has been chasing a Champions League trophy. Now, there is much speculation about where the 33-year-old star will play next.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Salah praised De Bruyne and extended an offer to bring him to Anfield.
“I want to congratulate him for his career. He’s done incredible work at City and is a great player in this league. I really wish him all the best. We have a spot for him here.”
However, Salah, now 32, also said signing De Bruyne seems unlikely. Referring to his own new contract, he hinted at Liverpool’s philosophy of rarely giving long-term deals to players over 30.
“The club’s philosophy, I know how they have treated players over 30 in the past. I did not expect to stay here, and that’s not a bad thing. We’ve seen how they handled situations like this before.”
“Negotiations took six months to move forward and things have improved since January. It took some time. I think the club was testing if I still had something to offer.”
After much speculation, Salah signed a new two-year deal last month. He had expressed frustration publicly late last year and early this year when no offer came from the club as his previous contract neared its end.
De Bruyne expressed surprise last month at not receiving a new offer from City. Asked if he still craves Premier League football after the FA Cup final loss, he said, “I want to play good football no matter what the decision is.”
“I know you are all trying to guess where I will go, but I will make my own decision and you will all know when I do. I don’t know yet if I want to stay in the Premier League, it depends on the offers I get.”
He also confirmed talks with other clubs are ongoing.
“Yes, definitely. Whenever I make a decision, I will let you know.”
Asked if a move to another English club is possible, De Bruyne answered, “Maybe.”
City have two Premier League matches remaining this season. It is unclear whether De Bruyne will participate in the new FIFA Club World Cup in the US this June-July. His contract at the Etihad Stadium ends next month.
FIFA has temporarily changed transfer and contract rules to allow clubs to extend players’ contracts. De Bruyne said he may not play in the Club World Cup for City.
“I think I need to take care of myself because if I get injured at the Club World Cup, what will I do? No one will take care of me then. So there’s a big chance I won’t play in it, but I don’t know, maybe I will.”
