Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah set for 'enormous offers' - Stefan Borson
Kevin De Bruyne will leave Manchester City next summer if he decides he wants to play in Saudi Arabia.
That is the view of former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider the Premier League champions won’t be able to match the “enormous” wages the Belgium international could be offered by Saudi clubs.
De Bruyne’s contract is set to expire in June 2025 after he’s spent the past nine years at the Etihad.
Football Insider revealed on 3 October Man City will do “everything they can” to tie the 33-year-old down to a new deal.
Talks are now planned with De Bruyne over extending his stay in Manchester, with more clarity on the situation expected to be provided before the end of 2024.
The attacking midfielder was heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia throughout the summer window and could agree a deal with any interested parties from January onwards.
Man City can't offer Kevin De Bruyne Saudi terms
Borson admitted De Bruyne's future is dependent on whether or not he wants to take the Saudi money.
“I doubt City would match what Saudi would be prepared to pay,” Borson told Football Insider.
“I do think the stuff we hear about Saudi deals generally is misreported.
“If you look at the way we see some of those deals, particularly on transfer fees, reflected in some of their accounts, the numbers that we heard were rumoured to have been paid don’t then appear on their actual accounts.
“I will always take Saudi numbers with a pinch of salt.
“However, with the very biggest players like De Bruyne, Salah and Ronaldo clearly, the numbers they are prepared to pay are enormous.
“Frankly, I don’t think any English club can match those sorts of numbers. If he decides he wants to take the money, I think he will be going.
“In the alternative that he doesn’t want to go to Saudi, then I think City will probably end up finding a deal with him.
“But it’s going to be about what his intentions are and whether he’s somebody that wants to go and play in Saudi Arabia or not.
“For a player of his quality, English clubs won’t be able to match those numbers.
“Also, from the tax perspective, they just can’t compete.
“We are going to have the best part of 50 per cent tax in the UK, providing he stays there for a certain amount of time.”
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