- An MLS club have revealed that they have been in talks with Kevin De Bruyne
- The 33-year-old is expected to leave Man City this summer on a free transfer
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MLS’ newest club has reportedly held shock talks with Kevin De Bruyne over a potential move for the Manchester City legend.
De Bruyne missed much of last season through injury, and looked destined to depart the club in the summer to join Karim Benzema at Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad.
Ultimately the move did not materialise, with the Belgian opting to remain at the Etihad as he entered the final year of his contract.
However, injuries have continued to hamper the 33-year-old’s involvement for Pep Guardiola’s struggling side this season and he has been limited to just 12 Premier League starts in the midst of the worst slump in the Catalan’s time at the club.
All signs appear to be pointing towards a move away from the Etihad this summer for arguably City’s greatest ever player, with Guardiola recently urging his captain to be ‘honest with himself’ regarding his future.
However, despite multiple links in recent months, it appears MLS new boys San Diego FC will not be one of the potential suitors.
Kevin De Bruyne’s agent apparently held talks with San Diego FC surrounding a move to the MLS club
The 33-year-old has found himself playing a rotational role in Pep Guardiola’s side this season
However, San Diego’s sporting director has claimed De Bruyne’s wage demands would likely rule out any potential move
The club’s sporting director Tyler Heaps admitted that he had held talks with De Bruyne’s representatives, but that the player’s wage demands would make any potential move highly unlikely.
‘Those rumours, I don’t know where they come from,’ Heaps said as per The Sun.
‘I talked to the agent. The agent has many players, obviously. Every time I see it, I say, “Are you the one that is saying all this stuff?”
He continued: ‘He’s a fantastic footballer and he loves this area. He goes on holidays here every single year, but I’m not sure where that rumour keeps coming from.
‘I’ve had conversations with him, but I’ll tell you what, those wages won’t fit our budget at the moment in terms of what his expectations are.’
MLS franchises are bound by salary caps determining how much they are permitted to pay their squad, with the individual maximum yearly salary for players being $743,750 (£575,657).
However, clubs are allowed to sign up to three ‘designated players’ to deals that would otherwise exceed the salary cap, with David Beckham’s move to LA Galaxy in 2007 marking the first time the rule came into effect.
San Diego currently have two designated players in their squad, former Brighton winger Anders Dreyer and Mexico international and ex-Napoli star Hirving Lozano.
The club have enjoyed a promising start to their maiden campaign in MLS, and currently sit third in the Western Conference having yet to lose a competitive fixture.
