Another global soccer star is preparing to move to Saudi Arabia. Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has finalized a personal agreement with Al Ittihad.
“Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne has agreed personal terms to move to Saudi Arabia,” global media outlet Sports Bible reported on Wednesday.
The Belgian is arguably one of the best midfielders in the world. Since joining City in 2015, he has been an integral part of the club’s midfield and has won many trophies.
In 2022-23, he scored 10 goals and provided 31 assists in 49 games to help City win their first ever treble, and in 2023-24, after missing the entire first half of the season due to injury, he showed no signs of rust in his return, scoring four goals and providing 10 assists in 18 league games to help City win their fourth consecutive league title. He finished the season with six goals and 18 assists in 26 games.
The second half of the season saw City repeat as league champions and win an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title. Having won six Premier League titles, five League Cups, two FA Cups, and one UEFA Champions League during his time at City, it’s safe to say that De Bruyne is a living legend.
Born in 1991, the 33-year-old midfielder is still one of the Premier League’s top midfielders and was expected to continue his trophy hunt with City next season, but reports have surfaced that he is considering a move to Saudi Arabia.
“With a number of Premier League and European soccer stars moving to Saudi Arabia over the past 18 months, there has been speculation that De Bruyne is one of the targets of a Saudi Pro League club,” the publication explained.
“And according to reports from Italian transfer market pundit Rudi Galletti, Al-Ittihad have agreed personal terms with the player for a transfer.”
Al-Ittihad won the Saudi Professional League title in 2022-23 under coach Nuno Espirito Santo, beating Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nasr.
The team is also known for meeting Seongnam Ilhwa (now Seongnam FC) in the 2004 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League final, losing 1-3 in the first leg but winning the second leg 5-0 in a frigid away game in Seongnam, earning them the nickname “Al Thugs” from domestic soccer fans.
Last summer, Al-Ittihad brought in a number of world-class players from Europe, including 2022 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, and Fabinho, but the club had a down year, finishing the 2023-24 season in fifth place in the league.
To rebound the following season, the club pursued the signing of world-class midfielder De Bruyne. With less than a year left on his contract, which expires in June 2025, this summer is effectively City’s last chance to get a deal done.
Der Bruyne has already said himself that he is considering a move to Saudi Arabia. “If I play in Saudi Arabia for two years, I could make a lot of money,” he said on 안전놀이터 May 5, according to the UK’s Daily Star. ”I’ve been playing soccer for 15 years now and I haven’t reached that level of money. I have to think about what the next step means,” he said.
“At my age, you have to be open to all possibilities. We’re talking about the opportunity to earn a lot of money at the end of my career, and sometimes you have to think about those things,” he said, adding, ”For my wife, a different adventure would be fine. I have to think about my future,” he said.
“I still have a year left on my contract at City, but I also talk to my family about new adventures,” he said, ”My eldest son is eight years old and only knows England. He asks me how long I’m going to play for City, but when the time comes, I’ll have to deal with it one way or another.”
According to sports economics website Capology, De Bruyne earns £20.8 million a year from City. That’s a lot of money, but it pales in comparison to the way some players are treated in Saudi Arabia.
Legendary forward Cristiano Ronaldo surprised fans in December 2022 when he left Europe to join Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nasr. He then surprised fans once more when it was revealed that he had signed a two-year contract with Al-Nasr worth €200 million.
Benzema also signed a new two-year deal with the club last summer, worth €200 million. Brazilian soccer star Neymar also left PSG to join Al-Hilal ahead of the 2023-24 season, reportedly earning €150 million ($224.3 million) a year.
Meanwhile, The Browner has also been swayed by the astronomical salaries and is actively considering a move to Saudi Arabia, with Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min among those who have turned down Saudi offers to stay in Europe.
Son has been linked to the Saudi league since last summer and again recently. The Saudis are desperate to sign one of Asia’s top soccer stars.
However, Son Heung-min has already made it clear that he is not interested in a move to Saudi Arabia. When speculation of a move to Saudi Arabia became a hot topic, Son told Korean reporters at the A-Match in June last year, “I’m not ready to go there yet. I like the Premier League better, and I still have more work to do here,” he said.
He then referred to a quote from South Korean soccer legend Ki Sung-yong: “The captain of the South Korean national soccer team does not go to China. “It’s a different country, but it means that leaving Europe for money is not the right thing to do as the captain of the South Korean national soccer team.
“Money is not important to me. It’s more about pride in football and playing in the league I love,” he said, adding, ”I still have a lot of work to do in the Premier League. Tottenham fans will be happy,” making it clear that he intends to stay at Spurs.
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