Sport
Kevin De Bruyne reveals he wasn’t offered a new contract by Manchester City
Are you as surprised as he was?
Danny Jones -
21st April 2025 
Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne has revealed he wasn’t offered a new contract by the club before making the decision to leave at the end of the season.
The 33-year-old is preparing to leave the Etihad after more than a decade, following the conclusion of the current 2024/25 campaign, announcing the decision earlier this month.
It goes without saying that the Belgian playmaker isn’t just a fan favourite and club legend but one of the most revered players in European football, let alone England, having been transformational both for the Blues and the Premier League.
Although his exit hasn’t come as a complete shock, given his age and increasing injury problems, De Bruyne himself has confessed that he was “a bit surprised” not to be offered a new contract by Man City whatsoever over the past year.
Kevin De Bruyne has revealed his shock at not being offered a new contract with Man City and has not ruled out joining another Premier League club 📝 pic.twitter.com/ymUDaI4CvJ
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 21, 2025
As per multiple outlets, KDB shared the revelation during his post-match media duties after the Everton game on Saturday, revealing: “I didn’t have any offer from them the whole year and City made a decision. Obviously, I was a bit surprised but have to accept it.”
Despite a firm belief that he “can still perform” at this level (one most would wholeheartedly agree with him on), he assured he understood the club’s thinking and even admitted that it was “more of a relief” knowing that he was the first to learn that news and could announce his departure on his own.
Insisting that he’ll still be giving everything to help the team win in their remaining games this season, he went on to detail that the decision has been made “because the whole team has struggled.”
“Maybe if the team didn’t struggle and I came back like I did this year and bedded in like normal, then maybe they would take another decision”, he added, arguing that he’s playing with much more rhythm and confidence post-injury.
After all, he was the difference once again in the remarkable comeback against Crystal Palace.
Although he wouldn’t go into too much detail on the conversations, he reiterated, “I can’t really say what they think on the inside […] I have to accept the situation even though I feel like I can still do a good job, but that’s it.”
Despite many fans coming to terms with the difficult choice made by the club, many supporters still believe it is an oversight on CFG’s (City Football Group) part.
One social media user has nearly 5,000 likes and almost 400 comments on a post entitled: ‘A petition to make Manchester City apologise and offer Kevin De Bruyne a new contract’.
While not everyone is in agreement on the matter, there is clearly plenty of doubt, with the same account going on to add, “There’s no shame in admitting a mistake and offer[ing] Kevin De Bruyne a new 1-year contract. His influence in the dressing room, let alone on the pitch, remains of critical importance.”
It’s hard to gauge exactly what manager Pep Guardiola makes of all of it, either; apart from his farewell message included as part of the club statement confirming his contract expiry, this is pretty much all the Catalan coach has had to say on the matter thus far:
😳 Pep Guardiola confirms Man City haven't offered De Bruyne a new contract 👀👇pic.twitter.com/8JRsCbeX1a
— BeSoccer (@besoccer_com) April 6, 2025
Read more:
- Keely Hodgkinson named as official starter of the 2025 Great Manchester Run
- Esme Morgan calls out Manchester City over new season ticket restrictions
- Inside Manchester’s new padel club with a Pot Kettle Black cafe and courtside cocktail bar
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Featured Images — Ardfern (via Wikimedia Commons)
