Kevin de Bruyne’s honesty regarding the ‘incredible money’ on offer in Saudi Arabia has forced the Citizens to prepare contingency plans should their creator-in-chief decide a departure from European football is too lucrative to reject. Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze, who they were linked to last summer, has again emerged as a serious option but will be rather expensive.
City ponder Eze pursuit as de Bruyne uncertain
PREMIER LEAGUE champions Manchester City are mulling over an approach to sign Crystal Palace and England playmaker Eberechi Eze this summer, as uncertainty surrounding Kevin de Bruyne’s future lingers in preparation for the new campaign.
Belgian midfielder de Bruyne, 33, has one year left on his existing contract in Manchester and Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad are interested in luring the Belgian international away from England’s top-flight, where he has established himself as one of the world’s best players over the past nine years.
During the European Championships in Germany this past month, news was swirling around de Bruyne after he admitted temptation was a possibility given the ‘incredible money’ on offer in the Saudi Pro League – where multiple Euro-based players have ventured over the past 12 months.
2022 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema was their first marquee signing, after a highly successful 14-year spell with Real Madrid. They have since added midfield trio Houssem Aouar, Fabinho and West Ham target N’Golo Kante among others.
Former France head coach Laurent Blanc, who counts PSG and Lyon as two of his previous club jobs, penned a two-year deal earlier this month to become Al-Ittihad’s new manager but previous reports claiming de Bruyne agreed personal terms were false with Pep Guardiola insisting he’ll stay.
“If someone leaves, we are going to talk about that and, of course, until the last day [of the transfer window] we have chances,” the Spaniard asserted on their ongoing pre-season tour Stateside.
Eze, who made a trio of Euro 2024 substitute appearances for runners-up England, is being readied as a potential replacement in the No. 10 role but can also play in a free-eight position or out on the flanks.
Pep personally rates the former QPR midfielder highly, and it was a tussle between him and Wolves’ Matheus Nunes last summer – the Portugal international has been used sparingly and underwhelmed so far given his £50m pricetag.
Eze was always likely to cost more, especially now Crystal Palace sold Michael Olise to Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich for around £45m on the eve of his participation in the Paris Olympic Games.
Eze has three years left to run on his existing deal and contains a minimum fee release clause of £60m, though that price could hike up to £70m after performance and appearance-related add-ons.
Arsenal, who released Eze before his teenage years, and north London rivals Tottenham are both credited with a serious interest in the playmaker too but the fee could be costly unless they both offload squad players elsewhere this summer.
Fulham are closing in on a club-record £35m move for the Gunners’ academy product Emile Smith-Rowe, while Pierre Emile-Højberg (Marseille) could be one of many departures under Ange Postecoglou this term.
Mo and Sports 