“He will decide…” – Pep Guardiola quizzed on future of Kevin De Bruyne as Manchester City contract winds down | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has this week been quizzed on the future of Kevin De Bruyne, as the Belgian’s current contract continues to wind down.

The Belgium international is approaching the final six months of his Manchester City contract, and as such will be free to discuss potential free agent moves to clubs from across the globe from January 2025.

De Bruyne attracted significant attention and interest from Saudi Arabia over the last two summer markets, but Manchester City were insistent on keeping the player, whilst Major League Soccer in the United States is also understood to be a situation to watch.

For now, City are likely to be keeping a close eye on De Bruyne’s fitness development, whilst the midfielder himself has already admitted to wanting to keep talks shelved whilst he focusses on returning to full fitness in the coming weeks and months.

Speaking during a recent press conference, manager Pep Guardiola was first questioned on the fitness of Kevin De Bruyne following a difficult season for the 33-year-old, having battled a problem with his groin and abdomen over a nine-week period.

“Of course, all of us, he the first is fighting and training more than ever. He’s fighting to come back to his best. Of course he’s not 24, 25, 26, 27, when he was at his best,” said Guardiola.

“Now he is a certain age, and of course last season was five months out since playing in the first game. And the last game before Spurs, he came to me and said, ‘Oh it’s the first day I didn’t feel anything, I don’t have pain, the first time in the last two months’. And that is the point.

“And the other point is you are ready for 90 minutes, the rhythm that we play in that, of course he will need time. Like last season when he came back after five months, played 30 minutes, 45, 35 minutes, 40.”

The Manchester City manager went on to admit, “The only I ask from Kevin is what he is looking for, ‘I don’t have pain! I can train in good’, and after that Kevin will give us something that is unique, of course we need him. It would make no sense if I would say the opposite.”

But with Kevin De Bruyne’s future remaining in doubt as his current contract expires at the end of the ongoing season, Pep Guardiola has also been quizzed on what the future may hold for his long-standing star playmaker.

“I don’t know. Kevin I’m pretty sure will be honest. He wants to finish here, whether it’s this season, or the next one, or the next one being at his best,” Guardiola said.

“I think he will not be here when he believes for reasons on his part that he doesn’t feel he can be the Kevin he can produce, and he can help the team like he has done in the last decade. I’m pretty sure of that.

“And these kind of situations like David Silva was, like many cases, he will decide. He will decide the best for him, of course the team, because I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to be in the position that he cannot be, I’m not saying playing every three days across 11 months, I’m not saying that.

“But when he performs, he has to play as the best Kevin as possible. And unfortunately for the reasons just injuries, he could not deliver.”

De Bruyne will be hoping to put together a run of form and appearances in the Manchester City team heading into a crucial run of fixtures for the club across both the UEFA Champions League and Premier League, with the FA Cup returning in January.