Kevin De Bruyne set for shocking move to European giant?

Kevin De Bruyne is in the final year of his current deal at Manchester City. He is still the Citizens' leader, although there were some doubts about his future in Manchester after last season's FA Cup final.

Kevin De Bruyne was substituted before the hour mark in the disappointing FA Cup final against Manchester United, casting doubt over his future at the Etihad in his native Belgium at the time.

"That's a harsh substitution because it says something about how the coach sees you," pundit Filip Joos told podcast 90 Minutes. "Pep Guardiola would never have done that with Lionel Messi. Even a poorer De Bruyne still deserves your trust."

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"De Bruyne should leave City. He should go and replace Toni Kroos at Real Madrid," Joos added.

Kroos recently announced his retirement from Real Madrid and hung up his boots after Euro 2024 in front of his German fans. De Bruyne could fill the huge void the midfielder left behind in Real Madrid's midfield, even if he is used to playing a little higher up the pitch than Kroos. Pundit Gilles Mbiya-Beya thinks De Bruyne is the only one who can make the passes Kroos makes.

"That would be amazing, wouldn't it," Joos added. "You have Jude Bellingham there, who moves a lot, which means De Bruyne wouldn't be stuck to that number 10 position."

90 Minutes also discussed the possibility of De Bruyne moving to Bayern Munich, where his compatriot Vincent Kompany recently took over the reins. KDB himself has already played for Werder Bremen and VfL Wolfsburg in Germany.

"The German league suits him. Bayern plays that Sturm und Drang football, which is tailor-made for De Bruyne," Joos thinks.

A farewell to City for De Bruyne would mean a farewell to Pep Guardiola, who constantly sticks to his rigid system at City, leaving De Bruyne with little room for freedom. Mbiya-Beya thinks De Bruyne would have more freedom at Real Madrid and enjoy his game more.

De Bruyne's current deal at City runs until mid-2025 and both sides are keen to stay together until that date, despite rumours of a Saudi or MLS move.

De Bruyne is one of City's best ever players, if not the best of all time, and he wants to bid farewell to City in style. Will Real Madrid be his next club? Let us know what you think in the comments!

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