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Kevin De Bruyne’s future at Manchester City is in his hands, Pep Guardiola has suggested amid reports the legendary midfielder will leave the Etihad.
After four consecutive Premier League titles, as well as a treble, City have endured a difficult 2024/25 campaign, with the club currently 20 points behind league leaders Liverpool.
And following their early exits from the Champions League and Carabao Cup, the FA Cup is the only major trophy they can lift this season.
They take on Championship side Plymouth Argyle, who shockingly knocked out Liverpool, in the fifth round of the cup on Saturday evening.
Given their struggles, City are undergoing a massive rebuild of their squad, a process that started in January with over £180million spent on five signings including Omar Marmoush and Nico Gonzalez.
Moreover, veteran right-back Kyle Walker left for AC Milan and more outgoings are expected, with Guardiola reportedly ready to sanction the departure of EIGHT first-time players.
The manager appears to have distanced himself from such rumours however, insisting that he wants experienced players like Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva to stay.
However the future of De Bruyne, whose deal expires in the summer, remains up in the air, with the Belgian playmaker revealing in November that he had put contract talks on hold.
‘Don’t misunderstand me in what I’ve said,’ Guardiola said in his pre-Plymouth press conference on Friday.
‘There are players here who are over thirty that will be part of the future of this club – except De Bruyne, where he and the club will decide.
‘The others have contracts and next season I expect them to be here. They are going to help us? Yes or yes!
‘Next season there will be a lot, a lot of games and this lot of games you cannot do it just with new ones, or the old ones – you have to be all together!
‘I count on Gundo, I count on Bernie, I count on all the players who have a Man City contract – they are there! No doubts about that. And they will be really important at the end of this season, and next season.’
De Bruyne, who became City captain following Walker’s departure, is one of three players out of contract in the summer, alongside Gundogan and Scott Carson.
The 33-year-old is one of the greatest players in the club’s and Premier League history, with six league titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups and a Champions League triumph to his name, though he has struggled with injuries in the past few years.
This summer will mark 10 years since he signed for the Citizens from Wolfsburg, though, no matter when he leaves, it is unlikely that he’ll surpass Ryan Giggs’ record for he most Premier League assists.
The Manchester United legend’s tally stands at 162, with De Bruyne secondon the all-time list with 118.
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