Riyad Mahrez sends ‘incredible’ message after Manchester City player says goodbye
Kevin De Bruyne has been inundated with tributes in the aftermath of his final home game as a Manchester City player.
Man City farewelled arguably their greatest ever player in style with a 3-1 win over Bournemouth on Tuesday, as De Bruyne was given an ovation upon his withdrawal for Nico Gonzalez in the second period.
The Belgian’s exit came earlier than many City fans would have expected, but Mateo Kovacic‘s red card midway through the second half saw Pep Guardiola swap De Bruyne for Gonzalez in defensive midfield.
Omar Marmoush’s opener may have drawn the headlines after he found the top corner from 35 yards out before Bernardo Silva and Gonzalez added late goals in each half, but the game belonged to De Bruyne.
Kevin De Bruyne sent message of ‘congrats’ by ex-Man City man
Tributes have poured in for De Bruyne since he announced his exit from the Etihad Stadium last month, and the Belgian was given an emotional sendoff against the backdrop of a below-par season overall.
Riyad Mahrez is another member of Guardiola’s treble-winning side to leave the Etihad with his head held high, and the Algerian has kept in close contact with his old Man City team-mates while at Al-Ahli.
After several current Man City players sent direct tributes to De Bruyne to commend his 10 years at the club, Mahrez watched on from his home and posted on his Instagram story (20 May) with a message.
Mahrez said: “Kevin De Bruyne. Incredible player – congrats for everything you achieved, all the best on your next journey”.
Man City to launch transfer plan for De Bruyne successor
The Belgian’s City career isn’t quite done yet as Guardiola’s side prepare for their final-day clash against Fulham, before the hunt to identify and sign De Bruyne’s replacement intensifies come the summer.
City’s attempts to bring in Florian Wirtz have hit a snag thanks to Bayer Leverkusen’s lofty price tag, and that could see Guardiola look towards alternative options such as Morgan Gibbs-White and Dani Olmo.
De Bruyne’s future is up in the air with clubs on both sides of the Atlantic keen, but with the possibility of a bid from Liverpool to sign the soon-to-be free agent, City fans will hope that he ends up anywhere else.