Superstar may only have one season left at Man City as £100m duo face Etihad exits
Man City midfielders Kevin De Bruyne and Kalvin Phillips
Manchester City might be reluctant to give Kevin De Bruyne a new contract, a report has claimed, while one of his midfield teammates is also being linked with an exit.
De Bruyne has been one of the best players at Man City ever since he joined the club from Wolfsburg for £55m in August 2015. As things stand, his contract is due to expire at the end of next season, which will see him reach 10 years of service at the Etihad Stadium.
According to Football Insider, the Premier League champions are in no rush to offer De Bruyne a contract extension because of his recent injury history. At the age of 32, there are fears he is past his physical peak.
Talks could yet take place about a new deal, but that issue would only be addressed next year. Where De Bruyne could go instead if Man City decide his time is up remains to be seen.
Furthermore, the report does not specify whether Man City would allow De Bruyne to run his deal down and leave as a free agent, or look to recoup a transfer fee one year in advance.
Another midfielder who could leave Man City even earlier is Kalvin Phillips. The England international joined from Leeds United last year for up to £45m, but has struggled for starts.
Fabrizio Romano is reporting that both player and club believe going their separate ways in 2024 would be for the best.
His update followed claims from The Sun that Phillips is willing to forgo a pay-off of up to £17.5m from Man City if he is sold in January.
The Sun suggested that the treble winners could loan Phillips out if his takers cover his wages and write in a clause for a permanent transfer. Ideally, though, they are looking to find a buyer for the 27-year-old.
Man City pair could leave in different circumstances
A departure for Phillips would be far less surprising than one for modern-day legend De Bruyne, although it is understandable why Man City might be getting concerned about the Belgian’s durability.
They began to modify their midfield further in the summer by signing Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea and Matheus Nunes from Wolves and releasing Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona.
Man City manager Pep Guardiola addressed the future of Phillips at a press conference on Friday, rather bluntly admitting he has better players at his disposal for certain tasks.
“The transfer window is over, now we are here together,” Guardiola told reporters. “When we need a game with transitions or games with something with chaos Kalvin is perfect.
“When there is something you need to do, there are still one or two players who can do it better. That’s the simple reason.
“He will be here until winter. After, I don’t know what will happen because nobody knows once the window is open.”
Phillips is under contract in Manchester until 2028. If he and De Bruyne do leave over the next couple of years, it will be the former Chelsea player who goes with his head held high, and not the Yorkshireman.
