Kevin De Bruyne is heading into the final season of his contract with Manchester City, and as of now, there’s been no movement on a new deal.
The year 2025 looks set to bring some significant changes for City. Txiki Begiristain, the club’s director of football, is set to depart, and Pep Guardiola’s contract expires in June. Add to that the looming Premier League charges—115 in total—that could reshape City’s relationship with the league they’ve dominated in recent years.
On the pitch, there’s also plenty to consider. The expanded Club World Cup is on the horizon, with City as one of the headliners in FIFA’s ambitious tournament, which continues to face resistance from players and managers over the increasingly congested schedule. Meanwhile, City will have to make decisions about their aging stars, including Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne, both of whom are out of contract by the end of the season.
During the summer, there were intense rumors linking De Bruyne with a potential move to the Saudi Pro League, but Guardiola put those reports to rest while the club was on tour. Ultimately, De Bruyne stayed, but now he enters the final stretch of his contract, with no renewal in sight.
Come January, De Bruyne would be free to negotiate with other clubs. When asked about his future last month, he provided a glimpse of his mindset. So where do things stand between City and their Belgian maestro?
What has De Bruyne said?
Over the summer, De Bruyne stirred speculation when he acknowledged that an “absurd” offer from Saudi Arabia could make him think twice. However, no such offer materialized, and De Bruyne later clarified that he hadn’t been in contact with any club during the summer.
Speaking after City’s victory over West Ham last month, De Bruyne stated, “There has been a lot of noise and news. I’ve not been entertained by anybody or spoken to anybody.”
He also mentioned that no contract talks had taken place during the transfer window. “Once the season goes on, I’m sure there will be conversations with City. But during the transfer market, I didn’t want to be busy with that. I just want to feel good, play good football, and those talks will happen in the upcoming months. I don’t really feel any rush at the moment,” De Bruyne added.
That was early September, and since then, a few key events have unfolded. Begiristain’s exit is now almost certain, and Guardiola’s contract situation will likely play a major role in De Bruyne’s decision about his future. But as De Bruyne himself suggested, he already has all the information he needs to make his choice.
On what matters most in his contract talks, De Bruyne said, “Family is obviously an important factor, whatever happens. But it’s hard to talk hypothetically. There are things you want as a family, as a person, as a project. But when I don’t know anything yet, there’s not much I can say.”
He added, “I know what the team can offer me—there’s nothing new for me to learn. We’ll see what happens when the conversation starts.”
What has Guardiola said?
Guardiola has kept quiet on De Bruyne’s future since the summer, especially given that contract talks hadn’t begun as of last month. However, back in February, Guardiola expressed his desire to see De Bruyne finish his career at the Etihad.
“It’s a question for him. I’d love him to stay, but I don’t know,” Guardiola admitted. “I heard some links, but I don’t know if there’s been an offer. I don’t know if Saudi Arabia wants him. I’d love for him to stay until the end of his career, but everyone is different.”
While City generally avoid offering long-term deals to players over 30, recent exceptions have been made. After Ilkay Gundogan left because he wasn’t offered the two-year extension he wanted, City gave Kyle Walker a three-year deal to keep him from joining Bayern Munich. Walker signed the extension at 33 years old, and De Bruyne will be 34 when his current deal expires.
De Bruyne’s injury record will also be a factor. Guardiola has said that De Bruyne can win games on his own, but the club will be mindful that he missed five months last season and is still feeling the effects of surgery he underwent a year ago.
What about the Club World Cup?
If De Bruyne chooses to end his ten-year spell at City next summer, his contract will expire at the end of June. But that timeline could clash with City’s involvement in the extended Club World Cup, which runs for an additional two weeks.
To address such situations, FIFA recently introduced temporary amendments to their registration rules. These changes make it easier for clubs to offer two-week contract extensions to players, allowing them to finish the tournament.
Additionally, the rules permit players to sign for another club as the 2025/26 season begins on July 1. This means De Bruyne could finish the Club World Cup with City and then join a new team for the start of the next season.
Has the Saudi interest disappeared?
According to De Bruyne, there was never any concrete interest because he didn’t hold talks with any clubs. He did, however, acknowledge a conversation with Michael Emenalo, the sporting director of the Saudi Pro League, but downplayed its significance. “I saw him [Emenalo] at the Club World Cup,” De Bruyne explained. “I know Michael, so it makes sense for us to have a chat. But it wasn’t about that.”
While Guardiola did mention Saudi Arabia, likely in response to questions about the league, it’s not far-fetched that clubs there are interested in someone like De Bruyne. Saudi teams have already attracted the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Neymar with huge offers. A player of De Bruyne’s caliber, especially on a free transfer, would naturally be a target.
For now, City fans will have to wait and see whether De Bruyne remains their midfield maestro—or if he’ll be tempted by offers from elsewhere as his contract winds down.
