The Belgian player announced that he will leave the Manchester club after 10 seasons and has been targeted by a rival in the English Championship.
De Bruyne, who has left Manchester City after ten seasons, intends to stay in England and already has a Premier League rival interested in his football: Aston Villa. Aston Villa is in internal discussions to negotiate the signing of the Belgian midfielder, according to British broadcaster Sky Sports. De Bruyne intends to stay in the Premier League so that his family does not have to leave England. In addition, his priority is to balance his football career with his personal life. The Belgian’s desire to stay in England has sparked interest from other Premier League clubs besides Aston Villa, according to the broadcaster.
Aston Villa is having a great season and is still in the running for the FA Cup title they play the semi-final this Saturday (26) against Crystal Palace. The Birmingham team reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, being knocked out in dramatic fashion by PSG, and is in seventh place in the Premier League, still with a real chance of a place in the Champions League.
American football is also keeping an eye on De Bruyne. According to The Athletic, four clubs have already shown interest in signing the player: Chicago Fire, Inter Miami, New York City FC and DC United.
De Bruyne was surprised by his dismissal from Manchester City. The player said he was ‘shocked’ when he found out that his contract would not be renewed and stated that he still feels capable of performing at a high level. De Bruyne has played 417 games for Manchester City to date, scoring 107 goals and providing 177 assists. With City, he has won the English Championship six times, five English League Cups, two FA Cups, two English Community Shields, one Champions League and the Club World Cup. working with Felipão.
“I have worked with great Brazilian football professionals. I think they all have something to add to the clubs, in terms of football knowledge, experience, way of leading, and what they have achieved, and Felipão is one of them. I have no problem working with anyone. I have always adapted to the positions I have been in,” he said.
This will be Felipão’s fifth stint at Grêmio. As a coach, he won the Copa do Brasil in 1994, the Libertadores in 1995, and the Brasileirão in 1996. His last stint was in 2021, when he tried to help the team fight against relegation.
