Kevin De Bruyne &#8211; CaughtOffside

Midfielder now considering his future after offer from Leeds United

Tottenham ready to ship £60m star to Saudi Arabia should Premier League talent arrive

“The way he looks is different” – Arteta explains what he’s noticed about Arsenal star

Kevin De Bruyne linked with a move away

De Bruyne has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia this summer. The player has acknowledged that he is at a stage in his career where he needs to consider his family’s future, indicating a potential openness to a lucrative move to the Gulf.

But despite the strong links to a move away, it appears that De Bruyne will remain with Manchester City for another season.

While the midfielder contemplates his future, he is expected to continue contributing to City’s success in the upcoming campaign.

They play Manchester United for the Community Shield trophy this Saturday before their season opener against Chelsea on 18th August.

The post Pep Guardiola makes fun of Kevin De Bruyne’s new hairstyle on his first day back in training appeared first on CaughtOffside.

“I’m told…” – Worrying times for Man City as Pep backtracks on previous De Bruyne statement

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 06:15:42 +0000

Though he’s getting no younger, Kevin De Bruyne remains the fulcrum of the current Man City side, and his manager, Pep Guardiola, will be acutely aware of that fact.

Alongside Rodri, the Belgian talisman is the player who makes the side tick, and there’s a marked difference when he isn’t in situ.

His importance to everything that City do is obvious, and so when it was announced by Guardiola a week or so ago that De Bruyne was staying despite serious interest from the Saudi Pro League – reported by BBC Sport and others – one could appreciate the relief that City fans would’ve felt.

With seemingly nothing else to report on that particular situation, supporters could forget about how poorly their team are doing in pre-season and be confident in the notion that when the first ball is kicked in earnest in the 2024/25 campaign, everything was going to be all right.

However, Guardiola has now backtracked on his original statement and admitted that he hasn’t actually spoken with the player.

? Pep Guardiola on Kevin de Bruyne’s future: “I didn't speak to him. But the club informed me that we didn't get any offer”.

“I don't know what's going to happen, but I hope that he stays!”.

“It’s up to Kevin but right now I’m told he's going to stay”, says via @City_Xtra. pic.twitter.com/UCmBL7eu2X

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 29, 2024

CaughtOffside columnist and transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, posted on X (formerly Twitter) overnight that not only did Pep not talk to the player but that he also doesn’t know what’s going to happen regarding whether De Bruyne stays or goes.

“I hope he stays” doesn’t really sound like a definitive and unequivocal statement from the Catalan, and “I’m told he’s staying” is language that’s likely to give the Saudi Pro League renewed hope of landing another statement signing.

More Stories / Latest News

“The way he looks is different” – Arteta explains what he’s noticed about Arsenal star

Aug 7 2024, 23:20

Midfielder now considering his future after offer from Leeds United

Aug 7 2024, 23:07

Tottenham ready to ship £60m star to Saudi Arabia should Premier League talent arrive

Aug 7 2024, 22:39

Quite what it will mean for City’s title defence if the Belgian does decide he wants one last hurrah in the UAE will only be seen over the course of the next few months.

For now, City fans are likely to be harbouring a hope that De Bruyne decides to stay put for at least one more season.

The post “I’m told…” – Worrying times for Man City as Pep backtracks on previous De Bruyne statement appeared first on CaughtOffside.

What Bayern insider heard about Jamal Musiala is really great transfer news for Man City

Farrell Keeling — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 08:23:52 +0000

Whilst Kevin De Bruyne may be looking to bolster his wealth with a financially savvy switch to Saudi Arabia this summer, or another, it won’t spell the end of the world for Manchester City.

In fact, there’s every possibility that such an exit in the near future may be to the Sky Blues’ advantage.

It has now emerged that Bayern Munich fear Etihad-linked Jamal Musiala could be tempted away from the Allianz Arena. This comes amid ongoing contract struggles around Alphonso Davies and Joshua Kimmich, with the pair currently set to depart as free agents in the summer of 2025.

There’s a real concern about what impact that would have on the German international’s future in Munich.

“Bayern do have one additional concern in Jamal Musiala – they don’t want to lose their big talent. However, if Kimmich and Davies leaves, the level of the team will suffer as a result, which is a point of concern for Musiala; he wants a team like Jude Bellingham has at Real Madrid where you can compete for the Champions League title every year. So, Bayern Munich has to do something if they don’t want to lose him,” Christian Falk informed CaughtOffside in his exclusive Fact Files column.

“There is an idea at Manchester City to try and sign him as the successor of Kevin De Bruyne. I don’t know if the Belgian international will leave this summer or in the next, but the story of De Bruyne at Manchester City is coming to an end.

“Musiala grew up in England and I think he’s always got one eye on the Premier League, so this would be the next big danger for Bayern Munich. If they lose him and didn’t sign Xavi Simons, then they would have to go for Florian Wirtz, which would be very expensive.”

The former Chelsea academy prospect has been in sensational form for club and country in 2023/24. 20 goal contributions were plundered across all competitions for Bayern Munich in 38 games. This was followed up with a further three goals in five games played at this year’s European Championship.

Could Kevin De Bruyne leave Manchester City soon?

Kevin De Bruyne’s Euros campaign with Belgium disappointed – (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Sources close to CaughtOffside have already confirmed the City skipper is “strongly considering” life in the Middle East.

Al-Ittihad, we understand, are leading the pack, though there’s also interest from Saudi Pro League rivals Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal to consider.

Given that he could stand to earn a whopping €180m if he made the switch to the former of the trio, you could understand the temptation underlining such a potential switch.

Of course, it’s a move that would represent a double-edged sword for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. Losing a player of De Bruyne’s calibre would, no doubt, be a hard one to get over given the 33-year-old’s status as a modern-day Premier League great.

Who better to attempt to fill those sizeable boots than one of the most promising talents in world football in Jamal Musiala?

Your move, Bayern.

The post What Bayern insider heard about Jamal Musiala is really great transfer news for Man City appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Transfer news: Calafiori Arsenal here we go, Chelsea star’s £30m asking price, Rudiger Saudi & more

Fabrizio Romano — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 16:00:00 +0000

This article was originally published on Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive transfer news via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

Calafiori to Arsenal – here we go!

It’s finally ‘here we go’ for Riccardo Calafiori to Arsenal. After a lengthy saga, last night Arsenal and Bologna started exchanging all the documents as the deal is all done and confirmed. The next step is to sign all the documents and schedule medical tests for Calafiori, which will take place in the US so he can join Mikel Arteta’s squad for pre-season there.

Another important story with Arsenal is that Fulham have returned with a new proposal for Emile Smith Rowe and now the deal is close. It’s not done yet but could be completed soon if the two clubs agree on details. Crystal Palace wanted Smith Rowe too but Fulham are pushing now, with manager Marco Silva fully involved.

Fulham have also been linked with Scott McTominay and reports of their interest is accurate, though nothing is close or advanced at this stage. For Manchester United it’s been a very clear position since last summer: in case of a good, important proposal McTominay can leave. Otherwise they would be more than happy to keep McTominay at the club.

Chelsea bid for new goalkeeper, plus Chalobah latest

Chelsea had an important day yesterday as they submitted an official bid to Villarreal for goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen. The Danish goalkeeper has a release clause of €45m, but Chelsea offered €20m, and they have a feeling internally that a deal could be done for something like €25-26m.

Negotiations are ongoing, but the feeling is positive as Jorgensen already agreed on personal terms with Chelsea – salary, length of contract, everything is okay. So now the clubs are working on the details, but their relationship is very good after they worked on the Nicolas Jackson deal last summer.

An important detail is that Jorgensen is considered one of the best goalkeepers around in terms of his distribution skills, and as I’ve reported, that’s an important skill Chelsea have been looking for as it’s really appreciated by Enzo Maresca.

So, it’s a work in progress, but Chelsea have entered the race strongly. The deal looks likely, and I’d expect Jorgensen to compete with Robert Sanchez for the number one spot. Ultimately it will be up to Maresca so we’ll have to see, but we know he values goalkeepers with good distribution like Jorgensen.

Elsewhere with Chelsea, Trevoh Chalobah’s future is in doubt after he was left out of their pre-season tour and my understanding is that Chelsea are prepared to sell Chalobah for a fee in the region of £30m. He’s leaving this summer for sure, and is open to clubs in both the Premier League and other leagues. Nothing is imminent now – from what I heard he wants to take his time to consider all the options available.

Man Utd want a new left-back, so could Reguilon return?

I’ve been saying for several months now that Manchester United want to sign a new left-back – Tyrell Malacia is back now but still not fit, while Luke Shaw has often had problems with injuries, so Man United still need some more cover there and there have been rumours about Marcos Alonso, the former Chelsea player who is available on a free after leaving Barcelona.

Let’s see what happens in the next weeks, but I’m told that, as of today, Alonso’s camp has not received any approach from Manchester United. As of today, there are no talks or negotiations, but of course let’s see what happens because we know things can happen quickly with free agents as you can close the deal in one day because you don’t need to negotiate club-to-club.

Sergio Reguilon spent the first half of last season on loan at Man United, but as of today I’m told there is nothing advanced between Tottenham and United over Reguilon returning to Old Trafford. But in general, Reguilon was very happy at United, so if they came back for him he’d be very keen on the move – he loved his short time at the club, he was very happy with the club and the tactical ideas, but again, as of now there have been no contacts over this move.

So, United will look at left-backs, even if for now the priority is on different positions, but once they decide what left-back they want, I will let you know.

Juventus open talks over Karim Adeyemi

Juventus have a really concrete interest in Borussia Dortmund winger Karim Adeyemi and have started contacts on the player side. There have not yet been contacts between the two clubs, but Juve have discussed a contract with Adeyemi. It’s still at the early stages of the story, but there has been a meeting with the player’s representatives.

So, Adeyemi to Juventus could be one to watch as the Italian giants try to advance on the player side before entering into negotiations with Dortmund.

Truth about De Bruyne and Rudiger Saudi links

I wanted to clarify again that Kevin De Bruyne is not going to Al Ittihad. I also wanted to make it clear that Al Ittihad never presented a proposal to De Bruyne – there was no contract proposal to the player, and no bid to Manchester City. It’s just not happening. Why? Because at the moment Al Ittihad are looking for different players because they know it will be impossible to proceed with De Bruyne.

So, it’s completely quiet with Al Ittihad and also other clubs, with Pep Guardiola also speaking publicly to confirm that he expects De Bruyne to stay at Manchester City for at least one more season.

We’ve also had some strong rumours about Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger and interest from Saudi. Al Ittihad have again been mentioned, with reports claiming that they presented an important proposal for Rudiger.

More Stories / Latest News

Midfielder now considering his future after offer from Leeds United

Tottenham ready to ship £60m star to Saudi Arabia should Premier League talent arrive

“The way he looks is different” – Arteta explains what he’s noticed about Arsenal star

Once again – Rudiger has no intention to leave Real Madrid, and they have absolutely no intention to part ways with him. The German centre-back is one of the big faces of their team, and he had a great season winning many trophies last term. Everything is under control and Rudiger is not even considering going to Saudi now, though of course in the future we’ll see, anything can happen, but today he is not negotiating with Saudi clubs and he is not interested in entertaining any talks.

So for now, it’s simply not happening and Real Madrid don’t want to lose another defender as they already lost Nacho this summer. They wanted to sign Leny Yoro, though he went to Manchester United, so let’s see if they will find another centre-back. But certainly for now there is no plan to let Rudiger go, and I don’t see him going to Real Madrid and telling them he wants to leave.

Eze transfer interest remains, but no bids yet

I’ve been asked by a few fans for an update on Eberechi Eze, who has attracted plenty of links and speculation after his excellent form for Crystal Palace, which also saw him make it into the England squad for Euro 2024.

The situation is this: all the big clubs in Premier League have been monitoring Eze, really all of them. But at the moment, Palace have not received any formal proposal, so let’s see if that changes soon.

Man City had Eze on their list already last summer, while Tottenham have been in contact with his agents since February – the interest is absolutely still there but again, no bids yet.

Cancelo could be back on Barcelona’s agenda soon

It’s gone a bit quiet on the future of Joao Cancelo recently, but Barcelona want a new right-back and Cancelo is one of the names on their shortlist after his spell on loan there last season.

I don’t see Cancelo staying at Man City, but the reason it’s gone quiet is because for now Barca are putting all their focus into the Nico Williams deal. Once that has been resolved they will look for other targets, including a new right-back.

The post Transfer news: Calafiori Arsenal here we go, Chelsea star’s £30m asking price, Rudiger Saudi & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Collymore gives interesting opinion on De Bruyne’s Man City decision

Jason Pettigrove — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 10:54:15 +0000

Ahead of the new Premier League season, Man City have been boosted by the news that Kevin De Bruyne is apparently staying at the club.

Sky Sports noted Pep Guardiola’s words in a press conference earlier in the week where he said that his captain would not be moving to the Saudi Pro League.

It was thought that the embarrassment of riches available to the Belgian had seen him decide to turn his back on the Premier League and see out the rest of his career in the 68th best league in the world (TeamForm).

That he has apparently been persuaded to stay at the Etihad Stadium for at least another season is a real fillip for the club according to Stan Collymore.

“Even below his peak, Kevin De Bruyne is that sort of totemic experienced figure who’s quietly assured and who, without a doubt, you’d want in your dressing room,” he said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive column.

De Bruyne stay a real fillip for Man City

“So it’s a compliment in one way to the player, even before you take into account the generational wealth that he’d be likely to earn in Saudi Arabia.

“De Bruyne has had his injury problems but I think he’ll definitely provide more competition at Man City this year as they aim for another title.

Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne remains a talisman for the club

“It’d be very interesting to see whether Pep Guardiola does leave at the end of the season, or whether he signs a new contract and stays for another cycle too.

“Regardless, with Kevin De Bruyne in the team, it’s a massive fillip for Manchester City as a football club to keep their best player.”

The Cityzens are certainly a better and more creative team with him in it, and despite his injury problems and advancing years De Bruyne is almost certain to be at the coal face once again in 2024/25, driving his team-mates on to further glories.

The post Collymore gives interesting opinion on De Bruyne’s Man City decision appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Collymore’s column: Liverpool supporters should be careful what they wish for, De Bruyne news a real fillip for Man City and more

Stan Collymore — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 10:39:20 +0000

In his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, former Aston Villa attacker Stan Collymore discusses some of football’s biggest talking points, including why Kevin De Bruyne’s Saudi Arabian u-turn is a real fillip for Man City, why Liverpool fans need to be careful what they wish for, why Kylian Mbappe needs to be humble, why Mikel Arteta could still be at Arsenal even if they don’t win the EPL title for 10 years and which team has had the best transfer window so far.

—

Kevin De Bruyne’s decision is a real fillip for Man City

Kevin De Bruyne

I think that the Saudi Pro League would look at anybody that would push any progressive football club forward, hence their interest in Kevin De Bruyne.

It also goes to show that, along with Ederson, this Man City squad is starting to age a little bit, because I think that Mbappe is probably the only player where the Saudi clubs have come in to try to tempt someone at their peak.

Even below his peak, Kevin De Bruyne is that sort of totemic experienced figure who’s quietly assured and who, without a doubt, you’d want in your dressing room.

So it’s a compliment in one way to the player, even before you take into account the generational wealth that he’d be likely to earn in Saudi Arabia.

De Bruyne has had his injury problems but I think he’ll definitely provide more competition at Man City this year as they aim for another title.

It’d be very interesting to see whether Pep Guardiola does leave at the end of the season, or whether he signs a new contract and stays for another cycle too.

Regardless, with Kevin De Bruyne in the team, it’s a massive fillip for Manchester City as a football club to keep their best player.

Liverpool supporters should be careful what they wish for

Liverpool manager Arne Slot is set to make changes to the squad this summer.

Liverpool fans are unhappy at the club’s lack of transfer business this summer, but what seems to happen with progressive coaches, and I saw it with Unai Emery when he came to Aston Villa, is that they’ll have a really good look at the academy and at who’s loaned out first.

I think that the fundamentals with Liverpool at this point are fairly similar to Villa in terms of Arne Slot wanting to assess what he’s got, and that’s not just in the first team squad.

Liverpool, historically, have been good at producing players and Slot will want to have a look at them all together before going to the technical board and saying ‘I need a right back, I need a central midfielder, I need a wide left player,’ – and I think that’s the best way to do it.

Liverpool fans ranting and raving on X don’t quite understand that the new manager almost has to have an inventory or a stock take first to see who’s good enough and who’s not good enough.

What the club don’t wan’t and what football should never be about, but what football fans have indulged over the last 10 years is the ridiculous yellow tie, yellow dress wearing Sky Sports News Deadline Day brigade, where fans are just hoping that the club gets anybody through the door.

Especially now with FFP, clubs need to be more creative.

What do Liverpool fans really want? Their club blowing £50m/£60m on a player that will end up being surplus to requirements, or blowing £5m a year on a recruitment guy that keeps them with a pipeline of the world’s best talent over the next five or six years.

For me, it’s a no brainer. The latter scenario means the football club is sustainable, works better and their recruitment looks much more solid.

Arsenal board won’t be concerned if it takes 10 years for Arteta to win the title

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta

Mikel Arteta could stay at Arsenal for 10 years and still not win the Premier League, and it’s unlikely to make a huge difference to the board.

I think that he’s almost hanging on by his fingernails at the moment waiting for Pep to go, and I know that a lot of Arsenal fans reading that would go ‘well, we’ve run them (Man City) very close in the last couple of seasons.’

Once Pep Guardiola goes, then yes, there’ll be a few teams below them that are going to be in better shape to be able to take advantage, but let’s not forget the fact that Arsenal have only run them very close in seasons where Manchester United seem continually in flux, where Liverpool could have and should have done better, and where Tottenham were in transition with the new manager, Ange Postecoglou.

So from that perspective, Arsenal have had very fertile ground to try and be successful, and they still haven’t done it when it comes to Premier League.

The Arsenal board like Arteta’s work, his style of play and the players that have been brought in, and the first-team have been relatively successful.

I almost see it as a sort of Gareth Southgate scenario but in club football.

It sounds odd, but I genuinely believe that from where they were when Arteta came in – wasting money on players like Nicolas Pepe, other players not really wanting to go there, falling away in the title race and not challenging for a number of years – to where they are now, that should be considered a success in itself.

At least now Arsenal can offer regular Champions League football again and it’s a place whereby on and off the pitch, there seems to be some sort of unity and enjoyment of the work process.

Kylian Mbappe has to be humble at Real Madrid or face the sort of jealousy I did at Liverpool

Kylian Mbappe, particularly because of the of the clout and the unrivalled power he had at PSG, will automatically go in at Real Madrid as a senior player, but he’ll definitely have to be humble because there are enough senior players in that dressing room and a stadium full of people that are used to seeing Galacticos arrive.

They won’t really care that he was a Real Madrid fan as a kid or that he had Cristiano Ronaldo posters on his wall.

Players like Dani Carvajal have been there, seen it, got the t shirt and so there’ll be two or three that will be looking at him and seeing how he is in the dressing room.

As I was told when I joined Liverpool, ‘play the political game,’ because obviously, if he doesn’t, he’ll find things very different to Paris Saint-Germain on and off the pitch.

When I went to Liverpool, there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind whatsoever that within two or three weeks of signing and after all the happy, clapping, ‘hey, how you doing, do you want to come out with us for a beer and be our friend?’ kind of thing, that my team-mates thought I was some big time Charlie.

I did an article for FourFourTwo in which I basically made a criticism of an industry that buys a player from a club (me), already knows what he does over a number of times that they watch him and then completely tries to change his natural game.

It wasn’t meant to be ‘here I am, a British record signing, the best thing since sliced bread,’ it was that Liverpool’s way of working just made no sense to me.

Liverpool knew how I played; get the ball into feet early, I could turn people. I could run at people, and if there’s space in behind, I could run behind.

The late, great, Ronnie Moran said ‘look, Steven McManaman is the one that runs with the ball, Robbie Fowler is the man and Ian Rush is the fox in the box,’ so I had to completely reinvent my own game.

I made a point in the article of saying ‘what other industry buys an asset only to completely change it?,’ and after that, there was kind of like a genuine, I wouldn’t say hostility, but a snideness from some players that wasn’t there before.

So, Kylian Mbappe, who has been top dog and massively over indulged for so long, will have to fall in line fairly quickly, be humble and say the right things.

If he doesn’t, there’ll only be problems down the road.

Aston Villa have been the most impressive club in the transfer window so far

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has added impressive players to his squad this summer.

I’m going to go with my club Aston Villa for being the most impressive so far in this current transfer window.

Firstly, they’ve had the stumbling block of wanting to spend lots of money but can’t because of FFP, so they’ve had to get creative.

Morgan Rogers was originally at West Brom, who have arguably the best academy in the country, but Villa had him watched and brought him in prior to this summer – a deal which indicated that the club were getting it exactly right in terms of recruitment.

Jaden Philogene coming back again is a really good bit of business for £12m too. They sent him out and he was battle tested in the Championship, and he’s done the business. We all know what he was like at Hull, and now he’s got an opportunity to shine.

I remember writing about Amadou Onana several years ago and thinking this guy could be a real tour de force as a midfielder. Some Villa fans have said, ‘well, it’s not exactly an upgrade on on Douglas Luiz,’ but he’s a very different player, who is physically stronger.

When John McGinn was having quiet games last season, they didn’t have that physicality between Luiz and Kamara.

So, Onana’s ability to drive forward and to be a physically big presence as well as being able to pass the ball will be manna from heaven for Unai Emery.

There might still be some more deals to be done as there’s talk of Joao Felix heading to Villa Park, and that would really would set the cat amongst the pigeons.

Yes, they’ve spent the most money this summer, but they’ll recoup a lot too, don’t forget. They’ve got Moussa Diaby off the wage bill, Douglas Luiz is gone and Jhon Duran is likely to move to West Ham…

They’ve added where they’ve needed to and sold well so, for me, the club that has done the best business in the Premier League so far just happens to be the club that I support.

The post Collymore’s column: Liverpool supporters should be careful what they wish for, De Bruyne news a real fillip for Man City and more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Huge boost for Man City as Pep Guardiola confirms key player is staying at the club

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 04:20:34 +0000

Ahead of the start of the 2024/25 Premier League season, Man City manager, Pep Guardiola, has been handed a huge boost.

The Cityzens will once again be the team to beat, with Pep looking to ensure an unprecedented fifth English top-flight title in a row is landed.

Were that remarkable feat achieved it will surely never be toppled, and it would put the Catalan absolutely in the conversation as being the best ever Premier League manager.

Pep Guardiola can count on De Bruyne next season

Sir Alex Ferguson leads that particular argument at present purely because of his longevity and amount of titles, however, Guardiola can legitimately claim that he changed the face of English football in terms of the way in which the game is understood and played.

One of the reasons that the Catalan has been able to stay at the very top of his game is because of players such as Kevin De Bruyne.

The Belgian playmaker has long been the talisman for his side, however, it was felt that he would be moving to the Saudi Pro League this summer after allegedly receiving a mind-boggling financial package.

According to transfer expert and CaughtOffside columnist, Fabrizio Romano, De Bruyne will now actually be staying at City.

?? BREAKING: Pep Guardiola has just confirmed that Kevin de Bruyne will NOT sign for Saudi Pro League this summer.

“No, Kevin is NOT leaving”, Pep says.

Fake news, as clarified yesterday. ??? pic.twitter.com/xqrraOCuNU

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 23, 2024

Despite his advancing years – De Bruyne has just turned 33 – he is the beating heart of the current City side, and has clearly prioritised the quality of football and opponent over enjoying the untold riches that would be available to him were he to move to Saudi.

Perhaps in a year’s time, when Guardiola himself is likely to leave the current English champions, will be a more appropriate time for De Bruyne to finally accede to the overtures from the Pro League, but until then, City fans can enjoy him for a few more months yet.

The post Huge boost for Man City as Pep Guardiola confirms key player is staying at the club appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: Manchester City star impressed after receiving mammoth Saudi transfer offer

Mark Brus — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 05:14:02 +0000

Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne has been offered huge money by Saudi Pro League club Al Ittihad and is understood to have been impressed by the proposal as he’s tempted to make the move.

Sources have informed CaughtOffside that De Bruyne is strongly considering leaving Man City for Saudi, with Al Ittihad currently showing the strongest interest, while Al Nassr and Al Hilal are also expected to try negotiating for the Belgium international.

CaughtOffside understands that City want De Bruyne to stay and could even try offering him a new contract, though they will also respect the player’s decision if he ultimately chooses to move on this summer.

De Bruyne has previously spoken publicly about how hard it could be for him to turn down this life-changing money, and sources have told CaughtOffside that he stands to make as much as €180m over three years if he joins Al Ittihad.

De Bruyne transfer: Could we be about to say farewell to an all-time Premier League great?

Kevin De Bruyne to Saudi Arabia?

City fans will no doubt be hoping De Bruyne chooses to stay with them for a bit longer as he remains a world class performer and hasn’t shown any sign of slowing down with age, and it would probably be emotional for fans of the Premier League in general to bid farewell to one of the finest players to ever grace the English game.

More Stories / Latest News

Midfielder now considering his future after offer from Leeds United

Tottenham ready to ship £60m star to Saudi Arabia should Premier League talent arrive

“The way he looks is different” – Arteta explains what he’s noticed about Arsenal star

De Bruyne has been an absolute joy to watch during his time at the Etihad Stadium, with few players able to match the kind of influence he has on games with the range of his passing, the quality and variety of the goals he can contribute from midfield, and his all-round intelligence and elegance.

It would be very difficult for City to replace a talent like De Bruyne, so it will be interesting to see how hard they push for the 33-year-old to snub Saudi offers and stay with them for a bit longer.

The post Exclusive: Manchester City star impressed after receiving mammoth Saudi transfer offer appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Newcastle might be concerned about Manchester City making a move for their star player

Mehdi Gokal — Sun, 21 Jul 2024 19:58:48 +0000

Kevin De Bruyne has reportedly agreed personal terms with Saudi side Al-Ittihad.

The Belgian star has been heavily linked with a move away this summer with Saudi Arabia seemingly the likely destination.

The midfield maestro last month refused to rule out a move to Saudi by suggesting that he is at a point in his career where he needs to start thinking about his family’s future, hinting at a financially lucrative move to Saudi.

Italian journalist Rudy Galetti recently updated that the player has agreed personal terms with Al Ittihad.

?? With the possible departure of Kevin #DeBruyne – personal terms agreed with #AlIttihad – #ManCity already drawn up a shortlist of possible replacements.

?? All the details on @TEAMtalk ?https://t.co/EbsS4hg25P

— Rudy Galetti (@RudyGaletti) July 5, 2024

More Stories / Latest News

Midfielder now considering his future after offer from Leeds United

Tottenham ready to ship £60m star to Saudi Arabia should Premier League talent arrive

“The way he looks is different” – Arteta explains what he’s noticed about Arsenal star

Newcastle concern about Manchester City swooping in for Bruno Guimaraes

As per Sunday Express, the Magpies may be concerned by the news of Kevin de Bruyne reportedly agreeing personal terms with the Saudi club, as they will now fear that the Premier League champions will look to them for a replacement.

Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes could be tempted to a move to Pep Guardiola’s side and despite Newcastle’s insistence that the player is not for sale, a significant bid could test them.

Guimaraes’ incredible numbers

Bruno has been fantastic since joining the club, making 107 appearances, scoring 17 and assisting 16 goals.

He has also proven to be a versatile midfielder with his ability to play as a defensive midfielder as well as a central box-to-box midfielder.

The post Newcastle might be concerned about Manchester City making a move for their star player appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Man City would expect £100m for club legend amid interest from Saudi Pro League

Charlie Patrick — Sun, 21 Jul 2024 19:45:37 +0000

Manchester City would expect £100m for Kevin De Bruyne this summer, but the Belgian hasn’t agreed personal terms with Al-Ittihad despite reports suggesting he has according to Ben Jacobs.

It’s been a quiet summer so far for the English Champions with Brazilian winger Savio the only arrival at the club, but there’s expected to be more activity on both incomings and outgoings as the new season draws closer.

De Bruyne is into the last year of his contract at the Etihad and he’s believed to be a long term target for the Saudi Pro League as they continue their recruitment drive this summer.

De Bruyne not close to Saudi move

The 33-year-old has been at Manchester City since 2015 after he joined from German side Wolfsburg and he’s gone on to establish himself as one of the greatest players in Premier League history.

It’s no secret that the Saudo Pro League are keen to recruit the Belgium international but reports that he’s agreed terms with Al-Ittihad are thought to be wide of the mark.

Jacobs has moved to clarify the situation by reporting that De Bruyne isn’t close to a move to Saudi and that City would expect £100m to part ways this summer.

He took to X.com and said:

“Kevin De Bruyne is not currently close to Al-Ittihad and hasn’t agreed to any Saudi move yet, as reported for @talkSPORT.

“KDB a long-standing Saudi target, but dealmakers know #MCFC would expect £100m this summer.”

Kevin De Bruyne is not currently close to Al-Ittihad and hasn't agreed to any Saudi move yet, as reported for @talkSPORT.

KDB a long-standing Saudi target, but dealmakers know #MCFC would expect £100m this summer.

Ittihad closing in on Moussa Diaby, who is expected to sign a… pic.twitter.com/Dgc8Yz8GDU

— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) July 21, 2024

TalkSPORT add that Saudi dealmakers would be prepared to wait until De Bruyne’s contract expires in 2025 to make a move.

The City legend has previously spoken of being open to a move to Saudi and didn’t shy away from talking about the vast finances on offer.

More Stories / Latest News

Midfielder now considering his future after offer from Leeds United

Tottenham ready to ship £60m star to Saudi Arabia should Premier League talent arrive