In a tearful letter that left the football world reeling, Kevin De Bruyne has officially announced that he will be leaving Manchester City at the end of the ongoing season.
The Belgian midfielder wizard confirmed that these are his “final months” at the Premier League winners, bringing an end to a mythical saga that began nearly a decade ago.
The 33-year-old, whose contract runs out this summer, made the announcement in an emotional post on his social media accounts on Friday.
“Nothing in this is easy to write, but as footballers, we all know this day one day comes. That day is here,” De Bruyne wrote.
De Bruyne joined from Wolfsburg in 2015 and has gone on to become one of the club’s all-time greats. Over the years, he has helped Manchester City achieve a reign of English football supremacy – piling up an astonishing 14 major accolades, six Premier League trophies, and a highly coveted Champions League trophy.
His statistics are more than silverware. De Bruyne, with 118 Premier League assists, has only Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs (162 assists) behind him all-time. And to do that much, he did it in 280 games—less than half as many as Giggs’ 632 games.
“This city. This club. These people. gave me EVERYTHING. I had no choice but to give EVERYTHING back! And guess what — we won EVERYTHING,” he added. “Whether we like it or not, it’s time to say goodbye.”
While understandably upset at leaving, De Bruyne’s new destination remains to be seen. He refused to comment on what club he would be joining next, or whether he will feature in the FIFA Club World Cup this summer in the United States.
De Bruyne’s path to superstardom wasn’t smooth, however. After signing for Chelsea from Genk in 2012, he found himself fighting for playing time and made only two Premier League appearances before a switch to Wolfsburg in 2014.
It was there that he rebooted his career, with City subsequently signing him as their record signing a year later.
Since then, De Bruyne has played in 413 games for Manchester City, scoring 106 goals and earning personal accolades such as the PFA Player of the Year award—twice.
As the curtain gradually closes on his illustrious City career, one thing is sure: Kevin De Bruyne leaves a legacy that will be remembered for generations to come.
His creativity, leadership, and consistency made him not only a City legend, but one of the greatest players the Premier League has ever had.
