Kevin De Bruyne is reportedly set to hold crunch talks with Pep Guardiola over his Manchester City future after accepting he will only play a bit-part role next season.
The 33-year-old, who turns 34 in June, is out of contract in the summer and is one of several Citizens stars who is facing an uncertain future at the Etihad Stadium.
Guardiola recently hinted that he is ready to make widespread changes during a major squad rebuild this summer, as he targets recruiting new players who can adapt to the demands of playing regularly in multiple competitions.
De Bruyne, who was named Man City captain following Kyle Walker's January departure, is now in his 10th season at the Etihad and is the longest-serving player within Guardiola's current first-team squad.
However, the Belgian playmaker has had his fair share of injury and fitness issues and has suffered a decline in form during what has been a turbulent 2024-25 campaign for the Citizens.
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De Bruyne ready to accept bit-part role to stay at Man City?
De Bruyne has played the full 90 minutes just seven times for Man City across all competitions this season, while he has started in just 12 of their 25 Premier League games, scoring two goals and registering six assists.
Man City's No.17 has subsequently been tipped to end his legendary spell at the club this summer, with a move to either the Saudi Pro League or MLS outfit San Diego FC having been mooted.
However, The Times reports that De Bruyne wants to stay at Man City and has acknowledged his limitations, accepting that he should take a bit-part role in Guardiola's squad next season.
De Bruyne, who is believed to be earning around £400,000 per week at City, is said to have a very close relationship with Guardiola, who will hold 'crunch talks' with the Belgian to decide if he should remain at the Etihad.
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De Bruyne's Man City future remains up in the air
Since joining Man City in 2015, De Bruyne has established himself as one of the greatest-ever Premier League midfielders, inspiring Guardiola's side to six English top-flight titles, five EFL Cups, two FA Cups, two Community Shields and one Champions League.
Across his 407 appearances for Man City in all competitions, De Bruyne has scored 105 goals and has registered 173 assists, while he boasts the second-most assists in Premier League history (118), only behind Ryan Giggs (162) at the top of the pile.
Discussing De Bruyne's future at a press conference ahead of Man City's Premier League trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, Guardiola said: "He is an exceptional player. He was and still is. What is going to happen is mainly between him and the club."
Should Guardiola and Man City come to the decision to part ways with De Bruyne this summer, the Citizens could step up their pursuit of top target Florian Wirtz of Bayer Leverkusen, while Atalanta BC's Charles De Ketelaere - a Belgium international teammate of De Bruyne's - is also believed to be on City's radar.
Oliver Thomas
