Kevin De Bruyne's Comments About Playing with Cristiano Ronaldo Resurface Amid Saudi Links

• Kevin de Bruyne declared himself open to sensationally quitting Manchester City to move to the Saudi Pro League
• The Belgian superstar was crucial for Manchester City last season as The Citizens won their fourth successive Premier League title
• De Bruyne, who has been at Manchester City since 2015, admitted that he was ‘open to anything’ at his age

Kevin de Bruyne dropped a bombshell recently when he sensationally declared he was open to ending his long association with Manchester City.

An ever-present figure in Pep Guaridiola’s team, the 32-year-old is currently the longest-serving player in Pep Guardiola’s squad.

His 102 goals and 170 assists in 382 appearances for Man City have made him an iconic player in the club’s history and he has developed into one of the best midfielders in the history of the game.

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Despite De Bruyne's success at Manchester City, all good things must come to an end, and the Belgian hinted at a potential exit from the Etihad Stadium in an interview with HLN.

"At my age, you have to be open to everything. You're talking about incredible amounts of money in what may be the end of my career,” he admitted.

"Sometimes you have to think about that. If I play there [Saudi Pro League] for two years, I will be able to earn an incredible amount of money.”

De Bruyne could move to Saudi

The Belgian playmaker’s most plausible destination if he leaves Manchester City is the Saudi Pro League.

In April 2024, renowned journalist Rudy Galetti claimed Al Nassr are ready to reignite interest in De Bruyne in the near future.

He said: “The Saudi negotiator - with club's representatives - will contact again the player in the coming weeks. It cannot be ruled out that other teams will decide to join the race for Kevin before June.”

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With de Bruyne’s current contract expiring in 2025, City could be at a disadvantage in the event Saudi clubs start to knock on their Belgian’s door.

The playmaker's latest comments brought forth the prospect of a link-up with arguably the greatest goal-scorer in the history of the game - Cristiano Ronaldo.

A combination of one of the best marksmen in the sport's history and a player who is a master at assisting goals will certainly be devastating for opponents.

And interestingly, De Bruyne once spoke on the possibility of playing alongside a forward of Ronaldo’s stature.

When asked the legendary strikers he would have loved to play with, De Bruyne said, per The Mirror:

Maybe somebody like Thierry Henry, or even somebody like Cristiano.

"For me, a creative player, he's going to be there.

"I could probably put it [a cross] about three metres high and he (Ronaldo) is still going to get it anyway!" he said. "So that's going to make my assists go up!"

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Foden omits de Bruyne

Sports Brief earlier reported on Phil Foden’s Premier League all time XI which featured Cristiano but lacked De Bruyne.

The 23-year-old has been in stellar form this season, enjoying one of his best campaigns across all competitions.

For his picks, Foden included five Manchester City stars from the past and present.