De Bruyne surprised by Man City decision to let him go

Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne says he was surprised by the club’s decision not to offer him a contract extension, calling it a business-driven move. The 33-year-old midfielder confirmed he will leave at the end of the season after a decade of success with the Premier League champions.

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has expressed surprise at the club’s decision not to offer him a contract extension, describing the move as being motivated by business considerations.

The 33-year-old Belgian, whose contract expires in June, revealed earlier this month on social media that he would be leaving City at the end of the season, concluding a decade-long spell with the club.

Speaking after City's 2-0 victory over Everton on Saturday, De Bruyne shared his reaction to the news. “It wasn’t a pleasant moment. My family was away on Easter holidays, so it felt a bit strange,” he told reporters. “But it is what it is.”

He declined to go into detail about the club’s reasoning, saying only that the conversation was brief and framed around business priorities. “It wasn’t a long talk. They told me their decision and that was it. I have to accept it, even though I feel I can still contribute at a high level,” he said.

De Bruyne, who turns 34 in June, has played 416 matches for City, scoring 107 goals and registering 177 assists—120 of those in the Premier League, second only to Ryan Giggs. This season, he has made 23 league appearances despite injury setbacks.

Since joining the club in 2015, De Bruyne has been instrumental in securing six Premier League titles and a Champions League crown. He noted that he had not received any contract offer this year and emphasized his focus on the future.

“There’s been no offer all year—they just made a decision. I was a bit surprised, but I’ve accepted it,” he said. “I still believe I can perform at this level, and now I’ll start looking ahead and speaking to people about what comes next.”

Copied