Man City to allow key player to leave

Premier League champions Manchester City host West Ham United in their first game of 2025 on Saturday afternoon. 

The Citizens – who have won the last four top flight titles – have endured a poor season so far and currently sit sixth in the table, 14 points behind leaders Liverpool.

At the midway point in the campaign, City’s chances of winning a record-breaking fifth consecutive Premier League title are almost certainly over.

That could prompt manager Pep Guardiola to assess his squad over the next two transfer windows, and it appears that the club are prepared to let one of their most important players depart The Etihad.

According to Football Insider, City will not stand in the way of Kevin De Bruyne if he wishes to leave the club.

The Belgian midfielder remains one of the league’s best players when in his best form, but he has struggled with injuries over the past couple of seasons and he is currently in the final year of his contract with City.

De Bruyne, 33, joined the Citizens from German side Wolfsburg in 2015 and has since enjoyed enormous success in Manchester.

De Bruyne looks increasingly likely to leave Manchester City this year

The midfielder has scored 104 goals and registered 171 assists in 399 games for City across all competitions, as well as winning 18 trophies including six Premier League titles and the Champions League.

As the Belgium international is now in the final six months of his contract, he is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with any club outside of England.

The report claims that clubs in Saudi Arabia are interested in the playmaker, while newly formed MLS outfit San Diego FC are also credited with an interest.

It is claimed that the player himself would prefer a move to the US as opposed to joining a Saudi Pro League side.

If he does depart, De Bruyne’s exit would free up significant funds for City as he is currently one of the highest earners in the Premier League.