Kevin De Bruyne announces Manchester City departure after a legacy-rich decade in the Premier League
- Anweshan Ghosh
- Apr 4
- 2 min read
Manchester City’s star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has officially announced his departure from the club at the end of the season with his contract running down.
The Belgian maestro has won 16 trophies since joining City in 2016, including six Premier League titles, one Champions League title, 2 FA Cups, and 5 Carabao Cup titles, cementing his name amongst the most decorated players in the history of English football.
On top of his team accolades, De Bruyne has scored 106 goals and provided 157 assists for the Citizens in just 413 appearances.
The star midfielder has guided Manchester City into becoming one of the most fearsome teams in Europe while also leading the team to their historic treble in 2023.
However, since the beginning of the last season, the 33-year-old has struggled with injuries and, as a result, has missed a significant amount of games.
Due to his continued struggles this season as well, the “Ginger Pele” has featured just 19 times for City in all competitions, struggling to find rhythm and momentum.
“When it rains in Manchester next time, the heavens will shed a tear for their beloved King Kevin De Bruyne”
When KDB joined the club in 2015, he was labelled as a “flop” and a “Chelsea reject”. Fast forward to 2025, he's gone on to become one of the greatest midfielders of all time and arguably Manchester City’s greatest ever player.
However, Kevin De Bruyne’s journey to the top has been full of obstacles, having been sent back by his foster parents, being betrayed by his former girlfriend and his struggles at Chelsea. Despite all the odds he faced, KDB worked hard and cemented his name into the history books.
His story will continue to inspire budding footballers to keep fighting and working hard to eventually reach the top despite going through tough situations in life.
"Every story comes to an end, but this has definitely been the best chapter": Kevin De Bruyne’s incredible legacy at Manchester City
While De Bruyne’s decision does not come as a big surprise to the City fans, it surely has left all of them emotional, with the 33-year-old previously stating that he's “open to everything” when asked about his future amidst links to Saudi Arabia.
Hinting at his departure during an interview with the Belgian outlet HLN, De Bruyne said, “At my age, you have to be open to everything. You’re talking about incredible amounts of money in what may be the last stage of my career. Sometimes you have to think about that.”
He further added about his family's situation, “For (my wife) Michele, an exotic adventure is okay. These are also conversations that we are having as a family. I still have one year left on my contract.”
He further added, “My eldest son is aged eight and knows nothing but England. He asks how long I will play for City. When the time comes, we will have to deal with it in a certain way.”
The Belgian maestro could potentially be heading to the MLS, with reports claiming New York City FC’s strong interest in KDB, which is a part of the City Football Group.
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