San Diego FC Interested in Manchester City Star for Debut MLS Season | OneFootball

There's still a little over a month to go before the start of the 2025 Major League Soccer season which will see San Diego FC debut in the competition as the league's 30th team.

The southern California team has already made a plethora of roster moves to be much more than a simple participant in their debut season. Mexico international, Hirving "Chucky" Lozano, is their biggest signing so far; however, San Diego are targeting a even bolder move for one of the greatest players of the last generation: Kevin De Bruyne.

San Diego's interest in De Bruyne has been public since last summer, when The Athletic reported the newest MLS team got in contact with the Belgian's camp to inquire about any possible interest of a future move stateside.

Now, a new report suggest that the contacts have continued over the past few months and that a deal between team and player could be "closer than ever."

De Bruyne is entering the final six months of his contract with Manchester City. He's been a crucial piece on the blue side of Manchester since his arrival to the club in the summer of 2015. In his decade long stint with the club, he's played an integral part in one of the most storied dynasties in Premier League history, winning six league titles in total and the last four in a row, as well as the team's first ever UEFA Champions League trophy.

Competition to secure De Bruyne's services for the twilight of his career will be tough. San Diego will likely have to compete with other interested MLS suitors, but primarily teams from the economic powerhouse that is the Saudi Pro League, where teams have already tried to entice De Bruyne in the past.

Last summer, De Bruyne revealed that "at my age, you have to be open to everything. You’re talking about incredible amounts of money in what may be the last stage of my career. Sometimes you have to think about that,” perhaps opening the door for a move to Saudi, like fellow contemporary stars, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr. did in recent years.

However, San Diego still has a Designated Player spot on their roster available for the coming season and could tempt De Bruyne with making him one of the highest earners in MLS.

When the calendar turned to 2025, De Bruyne became eligible to negotiate with other clubs given his current contract situation. If the mutual interest between him and the newest MLS franchise is true, then it could be a matter of time before San Diego lands one of the best players in Premier League history.