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San Diego FC are pursuing a bold deal for Kevin De Bruyne as they look to make their first marquee signing, and the Manchester City star hasn’t ruled out a move to MLS
Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne has expressed interest in joining San Diego FC, even though the franchise is yet to play a professional game since being founded in 2023.
The Belgium captain has been linked with the future Major League Soccer side, but early reports were thought to be wide of the mark. However, according to The Athletic, his representatives have enjoyed one conversation with the MLS team. San Diego is a place that De Bruyne would consider moving to in the future.
De Bruyne, 32, is considered one of the best players in the world, and some fans felt he was snubbed from the Ballon d’Or in 2023. The midfielder finished third in the Ballon d’Or standings back in 2022, and has been an instrumental part of City’s recent success.
Despite his current level, De Bruyne has considered an early retirement with reported plans to quit football at the end of his current City contract, or after a short-term extension. His deal with the Premier League champions ends at the end of the 2024/25 season, but a move to MLS may now be in his future plans.
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Currently, De Bruyne’s camp and San Diego have only shared one conversation, but optimism was high during discussions. There is currently no proposed deal on the table, and there is still a long negotiation process that must take place before a future move is agreed.
De Bruyne is one of the finest midfielders the Premier League has seen, but injuries have plagued parts of his career. The Belgian only made 18 league appearances this season, but his impact was clear to see as City won 15 times with De Bruyne on the field.
Despite missing over half of the season, De Bruyne was joint-third in assists (10). The 32-year-old has received mass interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia, but MLS continues to attract top stars from European teams.
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Former Barcelona quartet Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suarez are all enjoying life in Miami, and further north both Christian Benteke and Xherdan Shaqiri are playing for D.C. United and Chicago Fire respectively. City do have their own links to MLS, with New York City FC being owned by City Football Group.
But with San Diego joining the league in 2025 it would allow De Bruyne to become the face of the franchise, offering him similar exposure to Messi after he joined Miami on a free transfer. The new team could also offer De Bruyne a similar contract to Messi, giving him a percentage of merchandise sales and other passive income sources.
San Diego will play their home games at Snapdragon Stadium, a 35,000-seat venue that hosted Manchester United vs Wrexham during pre-season. The team is also owned by Mohamed Mansour, a businessman and former politician with a reported net worth of £2.85 billion.
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