‘Honest’ De Bruyne will take right choice as contract runs out in the summer and no extension talks held as of yet.
‘Honest’ de Bruyne will make what he believes will be the right decision as his Man City contract is on the verge of running out.
The 33-year-old midfielder’s Manchester City contract expires in the summer, and formal negotiations for an extension have not yet begun.
Due to his body’s inability to handle the demands of playing football at the highest level, De Bruyne has become a bit-part player this season. He is unlikely to start at Tottenham on Wednesday night after having a rough afternoon against Liverpool on Sunday.
Guardiola said of talks over De Bruyne’s future: “Nothing is going to change about that. Of course we know each other quite well and we are quite honest with that.
“I think in that situation he has to decide, that is the most important thing. He’s completely honest with himself, to decide what he feels and what he can do in the next period of his life. He’s 34 in the summer and he has to decide, like what happened with David Silva for example.”
After ten years of being a City icon, Silva chose to leave for Real Sociedad in 2020 when his contract was up. De Bruyne is free to speak with teams overseas and has recently drawn interest from Saudi Arabia and the US. He has won 14 major awards in his ten years at City, making him the team’s most decorated player.
With four January additions, City is in a transitional phase under Guardiola, who has acknowledged that he will need to restructure the team in the summer. Although Guardiola acknowledges he cannot lose too much experience, older players who are having trouble keeping up with the demanding schedule, like De Bruyne, could be moved on. The Belgian is willing to stay.
“You have to think about who can play every three days for a month,” he said. “That’s the most important thing, otherwise it can happen the same as this season. You have to try to avoid it.
“The club has to sign players but at the same time the club has to keep the players we have as much as possible. Because with the [Club] World Cup then immediately after the season, it will be even tougher next season. We need a little bit bigger squad next year.”
Despite having a challenging season due to injuries, City is encouraged by the news that John Stones won’t require surgery for a thigh issue. Guardiola is anticipating word on Erling Haaland’s availability at Spurs.