Kevin De Bruyne holds MLS contract talks as Pep Guardiola and Hugo Viana launch major Manchester City rebuild | OneFootball

Major League Soccer side San Diego FC have held preliminary contract talks with Kevin De Bruyne, who is out of contract at Manchester City in three months, it has been revealed.

De Bruyne is 34 in June and will leave City at the end of the season unless a fresh contract is brokered to keep the midfielder at the club past the summer.

The Belgium international is understood to be keen to represent his nation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be held in the United States – a desire which could see him sign a one-year extension at the Etihad Stadium.

City are believed to be willing to tie their best player down to a season-long renewal on reduced wages, with De Bruyne currently one of the highest earners at the club.

The Premier League champions are expected to make significant changes to their first-team squad in the summer after a disappointing season that still sees City in the fight to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz has been reported to be top of Manchester City’s wishlist to replace De Bruyne, who has struggled for form and fitness in what will end up being City’s most lacklustre season under Pep Guardiola.

De Bruyne has also been courted by a number of clubs in the Saudi Pro League but is understood to prefer a move to the United States when he calls time on a successful, trophy-laden spell in England.

Speaking to Jack Rosser writing for Sun Sport, San Diego sporting director Tyler Heaps has this week addressed reports linking De Bruyne with a sensational move to the Major League Soccer this summer.

“Those rumours, I don’t know where they come from,” Heaps said. “I talked to the agent. The agent has many players, obviously. Every time I see it, I say, ‘Are you the one that is saying all this stuff?’. He (De Bruyne) is a fantastic footballer and he loves this area.

“He (De Bruyne) goes on holidays here every single year but I’m not sure where that rumour keeps coming from. I’ve had conversations with him, but I’ll tell you what, those wages won’t fit our budget at the moment in terms of what his expectations are.”

It remains to be seen how the coming months progress as City look to secure a top-four Premier League finish and should De Bruyne lead his side through the finish line by proving his form and fitness, it could well lead to the midfielder putting pen to paper and staying on with the Blues into the 2025-26 season.