Will Kevin De Bruyne start in Manchester City farewell against Bournemouth? | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was asked in Monday’s press conference whether Kevin De Bruyne will start in his final home game at the Etihad Stadium against Bournemouth on Tuesday evening.

De Bruyne played 100 minutes in the FA Cup final at the weekend as Manchester City were beaten 1-0 by a resolute Crystal Palace side that took a first-half lead through Eberechi Eze and dug deep to defend their slim advantage deep into injury time.

Reporters in the mixed zone at Wembley asked De Bruyne if there has been a decision made on his future after the final whistle on Saturday, with the 33-year-old indicating he is assessing offers and that an announcement on his future will be made in due course.

The Belgium international’s current deal at the Etihad Stadium expires at the end of June and he confirmed he will be leaving the club at the end of the season by means of a social media post in April that sent shock waves across the football industry.

In interviews that have followed, the midfielder has relayed his disappointment at the club’s decision and refusal to offer him a new deal, indicating he felt he’s taken a collateral fall for what has been a collective downturn in the squad’s performances this season.

Napoli are understood to be leading the race to sign the six-time Premier League winner next month after reports mentioned De Bruyne has given the green light to seal a move to Italy after receiving positive feedback on the country and the Serie A from Belgium teammates Romelu Lukaku and Dries Mertens.

Guardiola has a big decision on his hands ahead of Manchester City’s must-win Premier League game against Bournemouth on Tuesday evening – which will mark Kevin De Bruyne’s final home appearance as a City player.

Speaking in a press conference ahead of the game, Guardiola was quizzed on his plans for De Bruyne against Bournemouth after the playmaker featured for 100 minutes against Palace at Wembley on Saturday.

“Kevin (De Bruyne), what he wants is to win the game to qualify for the Champions League next season,” Guardiola said.

“This is what Kevin wants, it could not be otherwise, it could not be differently. And I’m going to decide the best, for the best players, to win the game against Bournemouth – that’s for sure!”

De Bruyne is unlikely to feature at the FIFA Club World Cup in Manchester City colours and is expected to formalise a transfer to his new club after the end of the Premier League campaign – holding a belief that the timing of the tournament is strange at a time when he wants to avoid injury to plan the next chapter of his career.