Manchester City have sealed their most important signing of 2021 as their star-man Kevin De Bruyne has committed his long-term future to the club and signed a contract extension with the soon to be Premier League Champions.
De Bruyne had only 2 years left on his deal but has now signed a 2-year extension with the club which will now see him finish the prime of his career in Manchester. De Bruyne previously signed an extension in 2018 worth £350,000 per week after bonuses but has reportedly (read here) earned a pay rise with this new deal that expires in 2025.
The negotiations for the deal began at the start of the season and according to reports from The Athletic, De Bruyne had two main desires before signing an extension. The Belgian international wished that the club continued to do everything in their might to win the Champions League and also wanted his weekly wage to reflect his impact and importance to Pep Guardiola’s side.
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De Bruyne spearheaded these negotiations by himself along with a lawyer and his family. He even commissioned a team of analysts to provide him with all the necessary information about his value to the team and City’s continued chances of success given the age and quality of the squad. He wanted information to see how much he was worth to the team and how City stack up with their domestic and European competition when it comes to challenging for the top trophies in the continent. The information provided to him showed that De Bruyne was the vital cog in the Manchester City wheel and also that there is nowhere he should rather be at the moment as he chases the elusive Champions League trophy.
City initially offered him a deal that was worth less than the one he was currently on but reports suggest negotiations concluded last week to keep him at the club till age 34 with a contract that reportedly adds up to £400,000 per week after bonuses, making him one of the highest-paid players in the world.
De Bruyne has been one of the pillars of Manchester City’s success in recent years and won the PFA Player of the year award in 2019/20 after bagging 20 assists and 13 goals in the league last season. The Belgian has continued in a similar vein this season and has 8 goals and 16 assists in all competitions as Manchester City look to complete the extraordinary Quadruple in 2021.
[Image Credit: Kevin De Bruyne]
Shivaan Shah