Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne has revealed that he would be open to a lucrative transfer to Saudi Arabia in the future.
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De Bruyne discusses riches on offer in SaudiHas one year on his Man City contractWife Michele also open to moveGetty WHAT HAPPENED?
There is one year remaining on De Bruyne's contract at Man City, and the Saudi Pro League is very interested in him as they try to build on their success and attract the world's top players to their league. The City star has confirmed he plans to finish his contract in Manchester, which will take him to a decade of service at the club. However, the Belgian is now pondering life after City, and has admitted to talking to his wife Michele about potential next destinations, including Saudi Arabia.
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Speaking to Belgian publication HLN, De Bruyne said: "For Michele, an exotic adventure is okay. These are also conversations that we are increasingly having as a family.
"I still have one year left on my contract, so I have to think about what could happen. My eldest is now eight years old and knows nothing but England. He also asks how long I will play for City. Once the moment comes, we will have to deal with it in a certain way."
Pressed on the possibility of entertaining the Saudi Pro League's interest in his services, De Bruyne added: "At my age you have to be open to everything. You're talking about incredible amounts of money in what may be the end of my career. Sometimes you have to think about that.
"If I play there for two years, I will be able to earn an incredible amount of money. Before that, I had to play football for 15 years. I may not even reach that amount yet. Then you have to think about what that could mean next. But at the moment I haven't had to think about that yet.”
(C)GettyImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
De Bruyne could join the ever-growing list of elite European players to make the switch to the Middle East, which includes the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane and Aleksandar Mitrovic. He has also been linked to Major League Soccer's expansion side San Diego FC, but the financial package on offer in Saudi is likely to be far greater.
WHAT NEXT FOR DE BRUYNE?
The Belgian will have another year to ponder his future and hold conversations with clubs, his family and advisors to make the correct decision. However, for now, he will turn his attention to the Euros with Belgium as he looks to win his first international title.