Where Could De Bruyne End Up After Man City Exit?

Kevin de Bruyne's glorious decade astatine Manchester City is almost astatine an extremity - truthful what comes adjacent for him?

The 33-year-old Belgian playmaker announced successful April that he would beryllium leaving astatine nan extremity of nan season.

He will depart arsenic 1 of nan Premier League era's top players, winning 16 trophies since joining City from Wolfsburg successful 2015.

Unless he signs a short-term woody to enactment for nan Club World Cup, it appears De Bruyne has only 4 games remaining pinch City.

Where could nan midfield walk maestro extremity up? Could beryllium caput to nan USA, Saudi Arabia, Europe, aliases moreover into retirement? BBC Sport looks astatine nan options...

A hop crossed nan Atlantic to Major League Soccer (MLS) appears a beardown action and nan astir apt astatine this stage.

MLS description nine San Diego held 'discovery rights' connected De Bruyne, meaning nary different nine could discuss pinch him, but that was dropped.

There was a akin business pinch Inter Miami, who relinquished their action to clasp talks pinch De Bruyne, meaning he will not beryllium teaming up pinch Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez astatine nan nine part-owned by David Beckham.

If a move to nan MLS transpires, past Chicago Fire are now successful pole position to motion him arsenic they person nan first action for talks and sources opportunity De Bruyne's representatives are to meet pinch nine officials.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane - conscionable 3 of nan globally celebrated stars that Saudi Arabia's able Pro League has attracted successful caller years.

The league's sporting head Michael Emenalo is nan man who brought De Bruyne to Chelsea successful 2012, though that move resulted successful only 9 competitory appearances successful blue.

De Bruyne's representatives person antecedently spoken pinch clubs from Saudi Arabia, truthful interaction successful that guidance has already been established.

But a move to nan Middle East is improbable astatine this shape arsenic he is understood to for illustration a move to nan USA aliases Europe for family manner reasons.

Highly improbable.

De Bruyne soaked up nan acclaim of City's support astatine Etihad Stadium aft scoring nan winning goal against Wolves connected 2 May and came retired firing successful beforehand of nan cameras afterwards.

"I person shown I tin still play here," said De Bruyne. "Otherwise I don't do what I do these past 4 aliases 5 weeks.

"A batch of team-mates person spoken to me, they are sad besides that I person to go. It goes for illustration this successful life, but nan measurement I americium performing is nan measurement I should be."

The decision to merchandise De Bruyne came from head Pep Guardiola and method head Txiki Begiristain, truthful a important rethink and U-turn successful readying would request to hap for him to stay.

De Bruyne is 1 of nan Premier League's highest earners and it is unimaginable that City would connection an hold connected his existent £400,000-a-week terms.

Last month, BBC Sport columnist Guillem Balague suggested connected BBC Radio 5 Live's Euro Leagues podcast that De Bruyne could retire erstwhile his statement ends.

"He's only 33, but for immoderate logic he's sewage 20 minutes per crippled successful him, moreover if he starts games. That's been recognised by Man City for a while," said Balague.

"He's not stupid - nan truth City haven't renewed his statement contempt him considering nan anticipation of staying connected is simply a motion of a subordinate that has reached nan apical and can't spell backmost to it immoderate more."

But Belgian shot master Kristof Terreur disagreed.

"One point he does person connected his mind is nan World Cup successful 2026," said Terreur. "He wants to proceed playing football, but each nan juice is retired of his assemblage and he has go very wounded prone, he said.

"He will prime a convention [to play in] wherever location is little unit and games wherever he mightiness enactment fresh for nan World Cup."