Cole Palmer leads ex-Man City stars in reaction to Kevin De Bruyne’s announcement
Kevin De Bruyne has caught the attention of the footballing world with a new message about his Man City future.
With the player nearing the end of his career in England, De Bruyne has long been linked with leaving Man City for the MLS, having only made 12 Premier League starts this season.
Despite a struggle with injuries and a clear changing of the guard under Pep Guardiola, the Belgian superstar has still managed to notch four goals and seven assists across all competitions.
That is just the tip of the iceberg, though, with the attacking midfielder racking up 106 goals and 174 assists in 413 appearances, and he has now announced his decision to move on from the Etihad Stadium.
Kevin De Bruyne announces decision to leave Man City
Taking to Instagram [4 April], De Bruyne shared a new exit post with the City supporters, captioned: “Dear Manchester,” before writing an emotional message.
He wrote: “Seeing this, you probably realise where this is heading. So, I’ll get straight to it and let you all know that these will be my final months as a Manchester City player.
“Nothing about this is easy to write, but as football players, we all know this day eventually comes. That day is here – and you deserve to hear it from me first.”
Speaking about his entire time with the Citizens, he ended the message, “Every story comes to an end, but this has definitely been the best chapter. Let’s enjoy these last moments together!
“Much love, KDB.”
Reactions from former City players flooded in, with Cole Palmer liking the post, and Ferran Torres and Oleksandr Zinchenko leaving the same message, simply responding: “Legend”.
Pep Guardiola to be forced into squad rebuild at Man City
Football Insider verdict
While Guardiola has been tipped to be in his final season at Man City, the club now needs him more than ever after the news that De Bruyne will be leaving at the end of the season.
It has been a disastrous campaign on all fronts for the Citizens, who are still battling for Champions League qualification and were knocked out of the European competition by Real Madrid.
| Player | Games | Goals | Assists |
| Kevin De Bruyne | 413 | 106 | 174 |
Many players have come and gone during the Belgian’s decade-long stay at the Etihad Stadium, but with him being just one of several players expected to leave, the manager has a tricky summer ahead.
While Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez and Abdukodir Khusanov were all added to the squad during the winter transfer window, it has not been enough to turn the team’s fortunes around this season.
Bernardo Silva is now expected to depart Man City, with Jack Grealish, John Stones and Ederson all being linked with summer exits despite this currently being one of the toughest periods in the club’s last 10 years.