Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne reveals plan to quit the club… to play in the MLS
De Bruyne penned £300,000-a-week deal last month keeping him at the Etihad until 2023, but will then leave for the US
KEVIN DE BRUYNE has revealed he plans to quit Manchester City - to play in America.
The Belgian talisman has inspired Pep Guardiola's men to a runaway Premier League lead, and to within sight of a unique Quadruple.
De Bruyne, a £52million buy from Wolfsburg in 2015, penned a new £300,000-a-week deal last month that will keep him at the Etihad until 2023.
But the midfielder then plans to play in Major League Soccer after falling in love with life in the US.
De Bruyne's advisor also hinted that Barcelona and Real Madrid had made approaches for the 26-year-old before he renewed his City deal.
Agent Patrick De Koster said: "I think Kevin will end his career in the USA rather than in Belgium.
"He has already been to America many times on holiday, and he loves the country and its culture.
"He said goodbye to his bachelor life in Las Vegas, and we have often spoken about him ending his career in the MLS.
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"He hasn't yet had any offers from American clubs, because they know it is not worth bothering as he is at the peak of his career.
"Clubs in China will probably look longingly at him, but I can't see him going over to play there.
"Did I have any contacts with Real Madrid or Barcelona? Informal contacts are made all the time, and people call me in the name of club X or Y.
"But Kevin's only desire was to remain at City. He is incredibly happy on all levels, and besides he has just bought a house near Manchester that he is renovating."
De Koster, 52, claimed KDB's new deal makes him one of the ten best-rewarded players in the world.
He said: "I dare say Kevin is the best-paid Belgian player in history, and he is in the global top ten.
"I read that Lionel Messi earns a million euros a week, and then you have Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar.
"Alexis Sanchez earns more that Kevin at Manchester United, but he profited from the fact that he was almost out of contract at Arsenal to drive up his salary.
"There could be a couple of lads playing in China who are in the top ten, like Carlos Tevez previously.
"But as for the rest - I think Kevin even earns more than Gareth Bale.
"Last September a guy from a Naples radio station rang me and said Kevin deserved to be paid the same as the greatest players. I told him he was right.
"The next day the English papers were talking about the matter, and City's director of football Txiki Begiristain told me the club felt the same way. Things moved quickly from then on.
"After City's third offer I went to Manchester. City projected their offer on a giant screen - it was impressive and professional.
"When I showed the contract document to Kevin he went: 'Wow!'
"Footballers generally talk about their salaries the way guys talk about their sexual adventures.
"They always exaggerate, claiming they have made love four times - each for half an hour - whereas in reality they lasted for three minutes.
"But City's players are all well-paid world stars, so they don't need to boast about their earnings.
"Kevin didn't like the fact his salary details made a big deal in the papers - but they became impossible to hide."
De Koster also took a swipe at Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho for letting De Bruyne leave Chelsea during his time in charge at Stamford Bridge.
The agent added: "To this day Mourinho struggles to admit he has made a mistake. He said Kevin was not yet ready for the first team.
"By contrast Chelsea admit they got things wrong. Wolfsburg got a bargain when they paid just £18m for Kevin in 2014.
"He had four options in 2015. He could have stayed at Wolfsburg, but by then he had seen and done it all.
"He could have joined Bayern Munich, but they never go over a certain limit with paying their players.
"Paris Saint-German were a third option, but there are too few top-level matches in France.
"Fourthly, Manchester City, who play a game of Champions League standard almost every week.
"We made a good choice in joining them. Since then he has become 'King Kev.'"