Manchester City to turn attention to Belgian ace as Kevin De Bruyne successor amid Florian Wirtz uncertainty: Reports

Modified Apr 05, 2025 13:06 GMT

Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing Charles De Ketelaere as Kevin De Bruyne's potential successor this summer if they fail to sign Florian Wirtz, according to CaughtOffside. De Bruyne has announced that he will leave the Premier League giants at the end of the season.

De Bruyne's ten-year stint saw him win six Premier League titles, two Carabao Cups, two FA Cups, two Community Shields and a UEFA Champions League. As a result of his definite departure, the Cityzens are keen to sign a replacement for the Belgian playmaker soon.

Pep Guardiola has been monitoring Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz for a long time. However, if they fail to sign the German midfielder in the summer transfer window, they are expected to opt for Belgium's Charles De Ketelaere.

Signing the Atalanta midfielder won't be easy for City either. Charles De Ketelaere is also on the transfer radar of Liverpool, West Ham United, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Arsenal. In addition, Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini is planning to offer an extension to the Belgian midfielder.

His asking price is not expected to be too high, but AC Milan's 10% sell-on clause would increase the value of the deal. In 43 appearances across all competitions, the former Club Brugge star has scored 11 goals and provided 11 assists this season.

Pep Guardiola hails Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne as one of the greatest in Premier League history

Manchester City v Plymouth Argyle - Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round - Source: Getty

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has hailed Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne as one of the greatest players in Premier League history. On Friday, the former Chelsea midfielder announced his departure from City at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

The Spanish tactician said in a press conference on Friday (via ESPN):

"He is one of the greatest Premier League players ever and at this club, there is no doubt about that. You always have to be careful when you say greatest out of respect for the players that have played in the last 20-30 years at this club but there is no doubt he is one of the greatest for sure."

Kevin De Bruyne joined Manchester City in August 2015 from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg. Since then, he has solidified his name as one of the most prolific midfielders in the world. In 413 appearances across all competitions for Manchester City, the Belgian playmaker has bagged 106 goals and 174 assists.

The 32-year-old has been named Premier League Player of the Season twice, in 2019/20 and 2021/22. De Bruyne also has the second-highest assists in Premier League history (118), only behind Manchester United icon Ryan Giggs (162).

About the author

Shashank is a journalist at Sportskeeda covering European football since the past 2 years. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and has also played the sport as a box-to-box midfielder and a full-back at national level, along with Tennis, Taekwondo and Boxing.

Shashank has been a Liverpool supporter since 2014 and had first stumbled upon the club after receiving a gift which had the words 'Liverpool FC' written on it. He has idolised Steven Gerrard over the years but his favorite football memory is the Reds' incredible comeback 4-0 win over Barcelona in the 2019 Champions League semis. He, unsurprisingly, also loves Jurgen Klopp's managerial style.

He strives to report 100% accurate content by going through several social media platforms, and prides himself on his above-average vocabulary and researching skills. In his career so far, Shashank has had the privilege of interviewing Indian national football team goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

Shashank also follows the Indian Super League and the Eredivisie along with European Football. In his off time, he likes to do theatre, watch Tennis, and travel.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava