Aston Villa are said to be weighing up a sensational swoop for Kevin De Bruyne after it was confirmed that the Manchester City maestro will be leaving the Premier League champions when his contract expires this summer.
De Bruyne, 33, has been one of City’s most influential players over the last decade, helping them to six league titles and Champions League glory. But the Belgium international recently discovered he would not be offered a new deal by the club hierarchy in the wake of City’s disappointing 2024-25 campaign.
The playmaker has already been linked with moves to Saudi Arabia and the MLS. He could yet be offered a chance to prolong his stay in the Premier League, though, by ambitious Aston Villa.
That’s according to a new report from Sky Sports, who claim that the Midlands outfit have privately held ‘internal discussions’ about a possible move for the midfielder.
Landing De Bruyne would be a major coup for Villa, who are in with a chance of securing Champions League qualification for the second season running under the impressive Unai Emery.
While competition for De Bruyne’s signature this summer is likely to be fierce, the veteran midfielder has already hinted that he would be open to remaining in the Premier League after refusing to rule out the possibility of joining a domestic rival.
“It came as a bit of a shock. I’m open for anything (including staying in the Premier League),” De Bruyne told reporters following City’s 2-0 win away at Everton over the weekend.
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“I have to look at the whole picture, sporting, the family, everything together, what makes the most sense for my family. I don’t know what it is. It depends on when you speak to people about projects and things.”
De Bruyne went on to imply that he disagreed with City’s decision to part ways, saying that he still ‘feels like he can do a good job’ for the Premier League champions.
He added: “It was a very brief meeting. I don’t really feel like I want to share what was said because it was basically more business wise for them. They just made the decision based on that. It was not really a long conversation. It was just what they told me and I have to accept the situation even though I feel like I can still do a good job, that’s it.”
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