Man City superstar invited for Saudi meeting as Al-Nassr initiate contact with agent over eye-catching swoop
Man City stars Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland
Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne appears to be a concrete target in the Saudi Pro League, where Al-Nassr have reportedly organised a meeting with his agent.
Many elite players have moved to the Middle East to continue their careers in recent months. Cristiano Ronaldo kickstarted the exodus by joining Al-Nassr after his release by Manchester United. Now, the same club that signed him are supposedly eyeing up De Bruyne.
According to journalist Rudy Galetti, Al-Nassr are aiming to arrange a meeting with the playmaker himself after making contact with his agent to register their interest.
It recently emerged, via Football Insider, that Man City may be reluctant to offer De Bruyne a new deal because of his recent injury record.
There have been whispers in the background that Saudi Pro League officials would be interested in making the Belgium international one of the next major players they try to recruit – and if Galetti’s information is accurate, there will have been some developments.
The reporter stopped short of sharing De Bruyne’s own stance on the move, but other sources have previously indicated he would want to stay at Pep Guardiola’s disposal – potentially for the rest of his career.
His contract with Man City is up in 2025, though, which means they will have to address his future one way or the other at the end of the season.
De Bruyne a Man City legend
When fit, De Bruyne has been one of the best players in the Premier League throughout his spell with Man City. It would not be amiss, despite the obvious recency bias, to class him as a club legend.
Since his 2015 arrival from Wolfsburg, De Bruyne has played 358 times, scored 96 goals and made 153 assists, all while winning 14 trophies.
His departure would mark the end of an era at the Etihad Stadium, although it is not yet clear what kind of price Man City would be looking for to sell him – or even if they will at all.
Al-Nassr already took one player from Man City this summer when they signed Aymeric Laporte to strengthen their defence. Some of the other notable names in their squad include Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Alex Telles, Marcelo Brozovic and former City prospect Seko Fofana.
Another player Man City lost to Saudi Arabia earlier this year was Riyad Mahrez, who joined Al-Ahli. Only time will tell how likely it is that De Bruyne ends up somewhere similar.
READ MORE: Man City ‘really confident’ they’ll spring transfer surprise that’ll shatter Real Madrid dream
