Al-Ittihad have agreed personal terms to sign Kevin De Bruyne from Manchester City. According to renowned transfer journalist, Rudi Galeti, the Saudi Pro League giants have settled on personal terms with De Bruyne.
Former Chelsea sports director, now Saudi Arabia director of football, Michael Emenalo, is said to have played a big role in Al-Ittihad’s move for the midfield sensation.
The football tactician and administrator oversaw Kevin De Bruyne’s move to Chelsea in 2012 from Genk, before he joined Manchester City in 2015 from Wolfsburg.
As of the time of filing this report, proceedings for a deal is said to be ongoing with Al-Ittihad locked in talks to settle club terms with Manchester City and secure the services of De Bruyne.
Kevin De Bruyne’s imminent Manchester City exit was long envisaged after he signaled he could be tempted to round up the final chapter of his career in Saudi Arabia if he receives a lucrative offer.
He also added that talks on his next career stop after Manchester City spell has been a discussion he had with his wife, Michele Macroix, 30.
Hence, Macroix is said to have also played a crucial in De Bruyne’s decision to wrap up his decorated nine-year career with Manchester City.
Futballnews understands Manchester City are interested in keeping Kevin De Bruyne. However, there is no contract renewal offer on the table, with only one year left on his deal. Suggestions are that De Bruyne and Manchester City would have sorted out contract terms before now if the player was to continue his career with the club.
De Bruyne could be the third high-profile Manchester City star to leave the Premier League champions following the footsteps of his former teammates, Aymeric Laporte of Al-Nassr and Riyad Mahrez of Al-Hilal.
De Bruyne joined Manchester City in 2015 for £55million. He has made 257 Premier League appearances for the club, scoring 68 goals. He has won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five EFL Cups, one Community Shield, and one Champions League
With Kevin De Bruyne’s exit on the cards, Manchester City are reportedly said to push more to land Spain’s prolific midfielder, Dani Olmo.
Olmo, 26, played a pivotal in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph. The RB Leipzig star, who has three years left on his contract, is reportedly open to leaving the club but City are said to face competition from PSG, who are also interested in the midfield sensation.
Olmo is known for his creative play, positioning skills, and playmaking roles. However, he is not likely to easily replace De Bruyne at City should he join the club. The Belgium international established himself as a midfield phenom with his immense contributions. He tallied 129 assists for City in the Premier League, cementing hi place as the fulcrum of Pep Guardiola’s City lineup.
His possible transfer exit to Saudi Arabia will be another groundbreaking transfer success for Saudi Arabia, who are relentless in their effort to stuff the Saudi elite division with top-class players since Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar’s move to the Gulf State.
