Manchester City’s struggles continue this season. After the UEFA Champions League exit to Real Madrid, Pep Guardiola promised major changes ahead. Now, one of the club’s biggest stars has made a final decision about his future.
Manchester City are going through one of their toughest seasons under Pep Guardiola. The team has struggled to find consistency. Unlike past years, they have been outplayed in several key matches. Even, they have only won two of their last five games on Premier League. They now sit 22 points behind league leaders Liverpool, a gap that shows how far they have fallen this season. In the middle of this poor run, a star player of Pep Guardiola’s team has made a final decision about his future.
Kevin De Bruyne took to his official X account, formerly known as Twitter, to announce that the current campaign will be his final season playing under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. “…’Manchester’ will forever be on our kids’ Passports, and more importantly, in each of our hearts. This will always be our HOME. We cannot thank the city, club, staff, teammates, friends, and family enough for this 10-year ride. Every story comes to an end, but this has definitely been the best chapter.”
Unlike in recent seasons, his role has diminished significantly. Even, he failed to appear in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League playoffs against Real Madrid. This season, he has totaled just 1,103 minutes. In that playing time, he scored just 2 goals and added 6 assists. Besides, injuries have also played a major role in his decline. They have affected his performance and consistency over the last two years.
Kevin De Bruyne faced a difficult run of injuries last season. He missed 151 days due to various setbacks. He entered this season hoping for a clean slate. Instead, he suffered a flexor muscle injury that sidelined him for 44 days. Considering the team’s bad performance, Man City decided to sign Omar Marmoush. He has stepped up and impressed increasing prominence in the squad. As a result, De Bruyne now struggles to find space in Manchester City’s starting lineup.
How Kevin De Bruyne became a Manchester City icon: Career highlights and achievements
Since joining Manchester City in 2015, Kevin De Bruyne has carved out a legacy as one of the most influential players in the club’s modern era. Over the course of 413 official appearances across all competitions, the Belgian midfielder has scored 106 goals and provided an astonishing 174 assists. Besides, he currently ranks second all-time in the competition’s history with 118 assists in the Premier League.
When he first arrived at the Etihad Stadium, some doubted whether he would win major honors with a club that lacked a long-standing tradition of dominance. Instead, De Bruyne became a cornerstone of the most decorated squad in Manchester City’s history.
Over the years, De Bruyne helped the club capture an astonishing collection of trophies, including six Premier League titles, five EFL Cups, two FA Cups, three Community Shields, one UEFA Champions League title, and one FIFA Club World Cup, an unprecedented haul for any City player.
There is no debating his status among the club’s all-time greats, and Pep Guardiola has made that clear on numerous occasions. “There is no doubt that he is one of the greatest, without a doubt,“ Guardiola told the club’s official website. “His assists, goals, vision in the final third of the field… he is very difficult to replace. Anyone can provide assists, but the amount of years and games in which he has done it is what makes him unique.”
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