Kevin De Bruyne opens door to further Manchester City talks on immediate future | OneFootball

Manchester City have seen the door opened to more talks over the future of Kevin De Bruyne by the midfielder himself during a new interview.

Etihad Stadium officials have taken the decision to part ways with arguably the club’s greatest-ever player upon the expiry of his Manchester City contract, enabling the midfielder to bring an end to a legendary 10-year stay in Sky Blue.

Kevin De Bruyne has played an integral role in the finest period in Manchester City’s history, winning every trophy available to both himself and the club including the first-ever UEFA Champions League honour, four Premier League titles in a row, and a domestic quadruple.

However, with club officials at the City Football Academy targeting an overhaul of its playing squad this summer with top-level investment into a number of positions to welcome in a new era in Pep Guardiola’s side, the freeing up of De Bruyne’s wages was deemed essential.

There does however remain an element of doubt as to when the Belgium international will formally depart Manchester City, with his contract expiring midway through the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.

Speaking to TNT Sports Mexico after Manchester City’s recent 1-0 win over Wolves, Kevin De Bruyne admitted further uncertainty about his exit date from the Etihad Stadium, but did say he would be willing to speak to the club on the matter.

“I don’t know [about the FIFA Club World Cup].

“For me, it will depend on whatever happens in the future, depending on what team I’ll go and what competition I’ll play,” De Bruyne told reporters.

The Belgian continued, as translated by MailSport, “And also if the new team doesn’t want me to play, doesn’t want to risk whatever happens.

“I haven’t really spoken to City about it, so I don’t know. If they want to have a conversation, we can. But I’m not sure about this.”

To tackle uncertainty over players’ futures on contracts expiring during the group stage of the Club World Cup, teams have been invited by FIFA to negotiate short-term extensions of up to 14 days with affected players in order to cover knockout rounds through to the final on July 13.

As such, should Manchester City opt to go down this route and find an agreement with their legendary 33-year-old attacking midfielder, Kevin De Bruyne would then be free to join a new club after the conclusion of the tournament.

The United States is currently deemed as the most likely destination for the attacking midfielder, with The Chicago Fire currently leading the chase for his signature ahead of MLS rivals including Inter Miami and New York City FC.