Kevin de Bruyne deal ‘ON’ as next move after Man City takes shape

Harry Watkinson 16 Apr 2025 8:02 PM

Where will Kevin De Bruyne go in the summer?

Manchester City will lose club icon Kevin de Bruyne on a free transfer this summer, and reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that an ‘approach’ has been made for the attacking midfielder.

De Bruyne’s decision to leave Man City when his contract expires in the coming months has been officially announced, and he was never going to be short of offers.

The 33-year-old, who has been integral to the Cityzens’ success under Pep Guardiola, refused to rule out staying in Europe or even the Premier League in a recent interview.

However, according to Romano, Chicago Fire have surged into the race for De Bruyne and have made contact with his representatives over a move.

“MLS side Chicago Fire make approach to sign Kevin De Bruyne on a free transfer,” Romano posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“De Bruyne will assess all options in the next days and weeks, but Chicago Fire are now showing strong interest with a specific project to attract KDB.

“Deal on.”

Mini-Man City extension possible for De Bruyne – sources

De Bruyne has been linked with a host of clubs in recent weeks, and a switch to the MLS or Saudi Pro League has always been deemed to be a possibility.

We reported months ago that despite links, San Diego are out of the race for De Bruyne, but he could now have another opportunity in the United States thanks to the Illinois-based side Chicago Fire.

TEAMtalk understands that there is a possibility of Man City extending De Bruyne’s contract by a few weeks so he can play in the Club World Cup, which ends in mid-July. It will all come down to De Bruyne and whether he has agreed on a deal with another club. Naturally, his next club may have reservations about De Bruyne playing at the Club World Cup after a long season.

Man City have already begun looking at potential De Bruyne replacements, which is no surprise given the void in the squad the Belgian will leave behind him.

TEAMtalk contributor Ben Jacobs has confirmed that Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz would be the ‘dream’ replacement signing, but he isn’t the only option on the shortlist.

Wolves star Morgan Gibbs-White also has admirers at the Etihad, while AC Milan’s Charles de Ketelaere has also been looked at, per sources.

Man City are long-term admirers of Newcastle ace Bruno Guimaraes, too, so he could come into the thinking if he becomes available this summer – although he wouldn’t be a natural replacement for De Bruyne, position-wise.

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