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Man City latest: ‘I’ve wanted to play like him’ – Anderson looking to emulate De Bruyne
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‘Legendary’, ‘pure class’ and ‘on another level’ are just some of the terms used to describe Kevin de Bruyne this week.
The Belgian is enjoying one of his best starts to a season since moving to Napoli on a free transfer this summer which begs the question, did he leave Manchester City a year too early?
The exodus of senior City players in the past year has been well documented,
Departing midfielder Kevin de Bruyne will receive a farewell from Manchester City after his final home game against Bournemouth on Tuesday.
The Belgian announced last month he will leave City after 10 years when his contract expires at the end of the season.
The 33-year-old has won 16 trophies since joining from Bundesliga club Wolfsburg in 2015, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2023.
De Bruyne,
Kevin de Bruyne, Manchester City, £9.5m – Southampton (a)
De Bruyne has had two double digit hauls in the past four weeks.
He’s started the past five games, so worries about his fitness should not be an issue and the Belgian only has three league games left in his City career.
If he’s going out with a bang, this game against one of the worst teams in Premier League history
De Bruyne’s final home game will come against Bournemouth on 20 May, with away matches to play at Southampton and Fulham.
And he can ensure a dream ending if City beat Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final at Wembley.
“Maybe he is still good enough to play here,” said former Manchester City defender Micah Richards.
“Maybe he hasn’t the press, but quality – he believes he can still play
De Bruyne has struggled with injuries, having missed almost five months of last season when City won their fourth consecutive Premier League title, playing just 26 games in all competitions, and has started just 19 matches this term.
Announcing his departure on social media earlier this month, he admitted “whether we like it or not, it’s time to say goodbye”, while City manager Guardiola added “it was not easy for
Sadly for Crystal Palace, he chose them to remind us all what he is capable of.
With City trailing 2-0 and seemingly heading for defeat, De Bruyne led the recovery mission.
The Belgian hit the woodwork before pulling a goal back by deceiving goalkeeper Dean Henderson with a free-kick that went in off a post.
The history books will show Ilkay Gundogan was credited with the assist for Omar Marmoush’s
At most, De Bruyne will lead City into battle three more times in this arena.
Over the past decade he has produced so many sublime moments and provided memories that will last a lifetime.
But it had been a while since he had done anything significant, and when City’s form slumped a third of the way through the season, De Bruyne could do nothing to arrest the slide.
On this
Pep Guardiola and technical director Txiki Begiristain.
When he talks about contracts, Guardiola usually says it is a ‘club’ decision and passes on responsibility to those above him. On this occasion, he is owning it.
“It was not easy for me to tell him it won’t continue,” Guardiola told the media at his scheduled pre-match news conference before Sunday’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford.
That statement reinforces De Bruyne’s own
