Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is the target of four top Saudi Pro League clubs this summer. According to a report by The Times, Saudi clubs are looking to capitalise on the wealth provided by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) to raise the profile of the game in the Gulf state.
Apart from De Bruyne, Manchester United’s Casemiro is also attracting attention. There is also Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah, who is on the priority list of Middle Eastern clubs.
Thanks to a rule change in Saudi Arabia’s premier league, clubs can have ten foreign players in their squad. This is different when compared to the Premier League which can only include eight foreign players.
Talk of a move for the 32-year-old De Bruyne to the up-and-coming league has been rife in recent times. Although the Belgian is rumoured to be resisting any offers.
Michael Emenalo, the sporting director of the Saudi Pro League, is a fan of the former Wolfsburg man. He was present at one of Pep Guardiola’s regular training sessions during the Club World Cup held in Saudi Arabia in December.
Manchester City will reject all offers
Given that his contract at the Etihad Stadium of £400,000 per week expires at the end of next season. A move for the world’s best player could be on the cards. Despite not fitting in in west London, De Bruyne has transformed into the Premier League’s best midfielder at the moment.
Getting his signature would certainly increase the credibility of the Saudi Pro League tenfold. But according to a report in The Times, the bids for a player of the Belgian’s calibre are very small, despite his recent injury problems.
Since his surgery towards the end of December, De Bruyne has performed exceptionally well. He’s registered six goals and scored two himself in just eight appearances.
De Bruyne, Casemiro and Salah’s contracts will expire in 2026. Interest in De Bruyne would most likely be pointless, given his importance to Guardiola.
Salah, who is now 31 years old, will expire at the end of the 2024/25 season. His deal at Anfield is worth £350,000 per week making him emerge as the highest-paid player at the club. Al-Hilal is a club that is very interested in Mo Salah.
As for Casemiro, the Brazilian may have an extra year on his current contract. He will likely leave Manchester United when his term is over.
It will be interesting to see if Kevin de Bruyne will follow him to the glamorous Arab League. Make sure you stay tuned to Wowkia Football so that you don’t miss out on any other interesting content from us.