Kevin De Bruyne Announces Emotional Manchester City Exit

Kevin De Bruyne has officially confirmed that his incredible journey with Manchester City will come to an end at the close of the season. The Belgian midfielder, whose contract runs out this summer, took to social media on Friday to share the emotional news. After a decade of brilliance at the Etihad, De Bruyne will walk away as a free agent.

"Seeing this, you probably realize where this is heading," he began in a heartfelt post. "So I'll get straight to it and let you all know that these will be my final months as a Manchester City player. Nothing about this is easy to write, but as football players, we all know this day eventually comes. That day is here – and you deserve to hear it from me first. Football led me to all of you – and to this city. Chasing my dream, not knowing this period would change my life. This city. This club. These people... gave me everything. I had no choice but to give everything back! And guess what – we won everything." He went on to thank the club and the city that became home for him and his family: "Suri, Rome, Mason, Michèle, and I are beyond grateful for what this place has meant to our family. 'Manchester' will forever be on our kids' passports – and more importantly, in each of our hearts. This will always be our home." 

De Bruyne arrived from Wolfsburg in 2015 for about $71 million, and since then, he’s been the heartbeat of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. The trophies speak for themselves — six Premier League titles, five League Cups, two FA Cups, two Community Shields, and the long-awaited Champions League crown in 2023. That’s 16 trophies in total, a haul very few players in Premier League history can match. Moreover, he has also been a consistent individual standout too, winning the Premier League Player of the Season twice (2019-20 and 2021-22), and setting a new standard for creative midfielders. With 118 assists, De Bruyne trails only Ryan Giggs (162) on the league’s all-time assist chart — and he’s done it in less than half the games, reaching that mark in just 280 appearances compared to Giggs’ 632. 

However, De Bruyne’s influence goes beyond just assists. In 413 matches for City, he’s scored 106 goals and assisted another 174. He’s created 826 chances — nearly 300 more than the next best (Christian Eriksen with 532). Among all players in the league since 2015, only Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane, and Son Heung-Min have more goal contributions than him. Pep Guardiola, speaking ahead of City’s derby clash with Manchester United, didn’t hold back on the praise either: "One of the greatest midfielders ever to have played in this country, and I think with Manchester City, there is no doubt." 

While De Bruyne didn’t reveal where he’s headed next, there’s buzz linking him with a move to either Saudi Arabia or Major League Soccer. But before that chapter begins, he could still end his City stint with more silverware. The Cityzens face Nottingham Forest in a crunch FA Cup semifinal in late-April, and despite his age, De Bruyne will be integral to City’s only hope of a title this season.  

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