♦ Kevin De Bruyne has revealed that he’s ‘open’ to joining the Saudi Pro League
♦ The Belgian playmaker’s deal at Man City will expire at the end of next season
Kevin De Bruyne has put Saudi Arabian clubs on alert by revealing he is open to leaving Manchester City this summer.
The 32-year-old’s contract with the Premier League champions expires at the end of next season and with no clear indication on his future in England, De Bruyne is weighing up his options.
Mail Sport revealed back in February that Saudi Pro League officials are ready to intensify their efforts to lure De Bruyne away from the Premier League.
Now, when asked about the potential of a switch to the Middle East, De Bruyne – who already earns £300k-a-week at City – admitted the ‘incredible amounts of money’ on offer make it an attractive destination that would be hard to turn down.
‘I still have one year left on my contract, so I have to think about what could happen,’ he told Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.
Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne has admitted he’s ‘open’ to a move to Saudi Arabia
De Bruyne claimed he’s had conversations over ‘an exotic adventure’ with wife Michele
‘My eldest is now eight years old and knows nothing but England. He also asks how long I will play for City. Once the moment comes, we will have to deal with it in a certain way.
‘At my age you have to be open to everything. You’re talking about incredible amounts of money in what may be the end of my career. Sometimes you have to think about that.’
De Bruyne added: ‘If I play there for two years, I will be able to earn an incredible amount of money. Before that I had to play football for 15 years. I may not even reach that amount yet.
‘Then you have to think about what that could mean next. But at the moment I haven’t had to think about that yet.’
The idea of leaving Manchester City has been something that De Bruyne said he has spoken about extensively with his wife Michele Lacroix.
Lacroix is said to be receptive to an ‘exotic adventure’, further strengthening suitors’ belief that De Bruyne, who also has interest from MLS clubs, can be enticed by an offer this summer.
De Bruyne played a crucial part in Man City claiming their fourth consecutive league title
However, footballers’ WAGs in Saudi Arabia have previously revealed the difficulties they have faced on moving to the country.
Earlier this year, a number opened up to MailOnline about how they struggled with the Saudi culture, revealing their paranoia about going out in public, anxiety about how to dress and feeling even threatened if they relax and become ‘too Western’.
They revealed a disturbing picture of paranoia about going out in public, anxiety about how to dress and feeling even threatened if they relax and become ‘too Western’.
One WAG said: ‘It’s very hard for expat women in Saudi Arabia, especially if the locals feel that you are not dressed properly. On one occasion I was shouted at just because my shoulders and part of my legs were showing.
‘We’re not allowed to wear shorts in public, despite the heat. You can’t even wear them on the beach. And if you do, people look at you as if they hate you. It can be very intimidating.’
De Bruyne is one of the best players in the world and the Saudi Pro League is understood to be targeting players in the prime of their career, rather than those at the end of it, as they look to grow the league.
Sports director of the Pro League, Michael Emenalo, attended one of Man City’s training sessions during the Club World Cup before Christmas and was keeping a close eye on De Bruyne.
Emenalo signed De Bruyne at Chelsea from Genk in 2012 and would again be required to play a big role if the Belgian was lured away from the Premier League champions.
De Bruyne has already seen former team-mates Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte swap City for Saudi Arabia, while there is interest from the Pro League in City goalkeeper Ederson this summer, too.
De Bruyne has already seen two former team-mates swap City for Saudi Arabia last summer
The Saudi Public Investment Fund own majority stakes in Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal, with one of the quartet the most likely to land the world’s biggest stars if City did business.
City boss Pep Guardiola has previously said that his wish is for De Bruyne, who joined City from Wolfsburg for £54million in 2015, to finish his career at the Etihad Stadium.
‘I’d love him to stay but I don’t know,’ Guardiola said earlier this year.
‘I heard some links but I don’t know if there’s an offer, I don’t know if Saudi Arabia wants him. I would love him to stay until the end of his career, but everyone is everyone.’