Pep Guardiola mentioned Kevin De Bruyne will likely be remembered as one of many best ever gamers within the Premier League after the Belgian introduced he’ll depart Manchester City on the finish of the season. De Bruyne, 33, has been instrumental to City’s rise because the dominant drive in English soccer since becoming a member of from Wolfsburg for £55 million ($72 million) in 2015. He has gained 14 main trophies on the Etihad, together with six Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2023. De Bruyne has scored 106 objectives and supplied 174 assists in 413 appearances for City.
“He is without doubt one of the best midfielders ever to play on this nation and for this membership – there is no such thing as a doubt,” Guardiola mentioned on Friday.
“We’ve gained quite a lot of trophies and he is been concerned in each single one.”
The City captain’s affect has diminished in current seasons because of harm issues.
He missed 5 months final season because of a hamstring tear and has began simply 21 of City’s 47 matches in all competitions this season regardless of the struggles of Guardiola’s aspect to match the requirements they’ve set over the previous decade.
– ‘Consistency’ –
But Guardiola hailed De Bruyne’s consistency and sturdiness throughout his peak years that allowed City to vacuum up silverware.
“For his consistency, besides the final yr, year-and-a-half, because of harm issues. The consistency in necessary video games and never necessary video games, each three days being there on a regular basis,” added Guardiola.
“His assists, objectives, imaginative and prescient in ultimate third is so troublesome to switch.
“Everyone could make actions for assists, (it is) what number of years and video games that makes him distinctive.”
Other greats of City’s success since an Abu Dhabi-backed takeover in 2008 remodeled the membership’s fortunes have already been immortalised.
Statues of Vincent Kompany, David Silva and Sergio Aguero stand exterior the Etihad and Guardiola expects De Bruyne to be recognised in the identical trend.
“I’d wager some huge cash that it’s going to occur, that is for positive,” mentioned Guardiola. “He deserves to be on this stage.”
It stays unclear whether or not De Bruyne will depart on the finish of the Premier League season or will proceed to see out his days as a City participant on the Club World Cup.
De Bruyne’s contract is because of expire on the finish of June, whereas the Club World Cup runs from June 14 till July 13.
“It’s an excellent query I do not know,” mentioned Guardiola. “He has to resolve, it is a new competitors. I hope he can proceed to play soccer in one other place, nevertheless it is dependent upon threat and contracts for the long run.
“The membership has to speak to him, and he has to say what he desires to do.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
