Players Manchester City should sign to replace Kevin De Bruyne

Ladbrokes takes a look at five players who Manchester City could get as a replacement for Kevin De Bruyne, who has announced he is leaving the club.

De Bruyne has announced he will leave Manchester City at the end of the season, ending a gloriously successful nine-year stint at the club. Ladbrokes looks at five players Pep Guardiola could bring in to replace the Belgian midfielder.

It will not be easy, with De Bruyne one of the most influential players of the 21^st century and arguably the best midfielder the Premier League has ever seen.

With six league titles, two PFA Player of the Year trophies, a Champions League winners medal and countless other accolades, KDB’s place in history is secure. At the time of his announcement, he has 70 Premier League goals and 118 assists. So who could possibly replicate that? Here are some of the options.

Bayer Leverkusen and Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz has been one of the hottest names on the market for the last few years. After breaking into the Leverkusen team aged 17, he has gone from strength to strength and is now a seasoned international, with 29 caps for Germany.

The silky German played a key role in Leverkusen’s remarkable unbeaten domestic season in 2023/24, which saw them win the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal. He scored 18 goals in all competitions, with Xabi Alonso’s side also reaching the Europa League final.

The 21-year-old can play as an attacking midfielder, on the wing, or as a false nine, and that positional versatility is something which would definitely appeal to Pep Guardiola. Were City to sign Wirtz, it could raise questions about Phil Foden’s future, as the Englishman continues to struggle for form this year.

There were eyebrows raised when Nottingham Forest spent a huge sum on Gibbs-White after they won promotion in 2022. That £25m fee, rising to £40m, is rarely mentioned nowadays and if Forest do sell they would stand to make a hefty profit.

Gibbs-White is now a full England international and the Wolves academy graduate is having another superb season under former manager Nuno, as he leads Forest's unlikely charge towards the Champions League. The attacking midfielder has five goals and nine assists so far in the Premier League this season.

MGW is brilliant in small spaces, a valuable trait to have at City, and The Athletic's David Ornstein has confirmed that both Gibbs-White and Wirtz feature at the top of Pep's wishlist this summer. He will see Gibbs-White in person very soon, with Forest and City due to meet in the FA Cup semi-final.

The Newcastle United captain has been frequently linked to Manchester City, with Pep Guardiola often expressing his admiration of the Brazilian midfielder. Guimaraes would not be a like-for-like replacement for De Bruyne, but his ability to play both as a number 6 and number 8 makes him an attractive fit for City.

Newcastle’s upturn in form this season came when Eddie Howe switched Guimaraes’ position with Sandro Tonali, pushing the Brazilian further forward. He has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the league, and the thought of him partnering Ballon D’Or winner Rodri once he returns from injury is a frightening one for opponents.

The Magpies will not be willing sellers, and the player himself may not want to leave off the back of Newcastle’s recent Carabao Cup success and their own European ambitions. But his all-action style and passion on the pitch could be exactly what Man City need, with their midfield lacking a bit of bite this season.

The one that got away for England, 22-year-old Musiala has grown into one of the best midfielders in the world with Bayern Munich and Germany, after growing up in London.

It would likely take a huge fee for Bayern to even consider letting one of their star players leave, but it'd be the sort of transformative signing that would instantly make City contenders for the title next season.

Musiala glides with the ball at his feet, can pick a pass and also offers a goal threat, with at least 10 league goals in each of the last three seasons. You could imagine him slotting seamlessly into a Pep Guardiola team.

Stylistically, Italy and Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella could be the closest fit to KDB on this list. He likes to operate in the same right half-space that De Bruyne does, with his driving runs on the counter another trademark.

After signing for Inter in 2020, Barella has become an Italy regular with 61 caps, and has won two Serie A titles and a European Championship. His winning mentality would fit right at home at City, and at the age of 28 he could be open to trying a new opportunity in England.

He was part of the Inter side that City defeated in the Champions League final in 2023, so will have seen first hand the quality that he'd be playing alongside. Given he can play in a number of midfield positions, if the price is right Barella could be a perfect signing for Pep.

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