Kevin De Bruyne is reportedly close to signing a new deal with Manchester City as a reward for his recent performances for the side. His current contract is set to end in another 4 years, the one he signed in 2015 after making a switch from Bundesliga side, Wolfsburg.
De Bruyne has questionably been the best player for the Citizens this season under Pep Guardiola with 7 goals and 12 assists in 26 appearances. Manchester City have already broken away from the pack with a healthy lead at the top of the table and a heavy favourite to contend for the Champions League trophy this season.
Guardiola, in his tenure with the club, has transformed the side completely with top talents in almost every position. A more developed and refined form of tiki-taka has been implemented with De Bruyne as the talisman to carry it out.
The Belgian’s contract extension will hopefully fend off interests from European powerhouses like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich even if they come up with an astronomical offer.
De Bruyne is a heavy regret in the hearts of Chelsea fans. After failing to appear for the senior side, the 26-year-old took his talents to Germany on a season-long loan to Werder Bremen. His return to Chelsea, however, turned sour with then-manager, Mourinho dubbing him as not good enough.
De Bruyne was allowed to leave on a £16.7m (€20m) transfer fee to Wolfsburg where he developed his game registering 20 goals and 37 assists in 73 appearances.
He also became a first-team regular for the national side, Belgium in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualification campaign and helped the side qualify for a major tournament in 12 years. He has so far registered 13 goals in 58 international caps and is still a key component ahead of the 2018 World Cup.
He attracted attention from many European sides but decided to side with Manchester City and return to the Premier League on a £51m transfer fee from Wolfsburg. De Bruyne came back into the league with a chip on his shoulder and has delivered on his promises so far. Cementing himself in the first team under Manuel Pellegrini, he has continued his impressive bout for the Citizens till date.
His current contract pays him a wage of around £115,000 a week and is about to increase by huge strides with the new extension rumoured to be over £265,000 a week.
Tying down his services is not only a great boost for the club’s future, De Bruyne will also earn the designation of being one of the highest paid footballers in the Premier League alongside the likes of Mesut Ozil, Paul Pogba and Eden Hazard.
