TRUE MOON
De Bruyne: I made the right decision to come here, I’m very happy and have no desire to go anywhere else
EUROPE’S top clubs are wasting their time if they think they can prise Kevin De Bruyne from Manchester City next summer.
De Bruyne, arguably the best player in the Premier League this season, is a target for Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, as well as mega-rich Paris Saint-Germain.
But the £54million star, who would cost in excess of £150m now, has no intention of turning his back on Pep Guardiola’s revolution in the blue half of Manchester.
De Bruyne has seven goals and 11 assists to his name this season, numbers that have made him one of the most sought-after players in Europe. But the 26-yearold, who is poised to sign a new contract extension with City, has revealed why he will resist the lure of a move abroad to continue as one of Guardiola’s key men. De Bruyne is settled in Manchester on and off the field, thriving on it with a series of outstanding displays, and enjoying life off it with wife Michele and young son Mason. “I always say in football that a lot of things can happen very quickly,” said De Bruyne. “But I’m very happy here and the people at the club know that. “I’ve no feeling to go anywhere else and enjoy being part of the project here and playing the kind of football we are playing. “The team is going in the right direction and that’s also important. “I made the right decision coming to City and my family feels the same, so everything is good. “When you first arrive at a new club, there’s stuff like moving home and finding a new house. “We were expecting my son at the same time and all the while you must be performing your best for the team and training
hard, so I was busy with a lot of things last season.
“This year, we’ve had a relatively quiet six months – most of the things we needed to do have been done and it’s been a good year for us.
“The little one is starting to sleep now and obviously I try to do my part as a dad – he’s my son, my responsibility and I want to do it.
“He’s very busy, very loud and he loves playing outside and we like him to be active and outdoors, rather than sat in front of the TV.
“He has started to recognise me when we’re on TV and he know it’s daddy – when he’s not busy playing, of course.”
Guardiola has a reputation as a perfectionist who is obsessed with football.
But De Bruyne revealed the father-of-three has a holistic approach to the welfare of his players that extends beyond the training ground and tactics board. “He tries to engage us all and it’s nice to talk about your kids and family,” said De Bruyne. “And if you have a problem, somebody can help you because as a footballer, it’s always better if things are good and your family is happy, and he definitely understands that.” City travel to Leicester in the League Cup tonight, on the back of a record 16 straight wins in the Premier League, with De Bruyne admitting such a relentless run takes its toll. “We take it game by game and try to win each one, but mentally that’s tough and can be draining,” said De Bruyne. “When everything is going well, there are occasions when you want to take things a little more easily.
“But we can’t afford to take our foot off the gas.
“We’re fortunate in that everyone has been in pretty good form this season.
“We beat Real Madrid, Spurs and West Ham in pre-season and what it did do was give us a good flow going into the season and we’ve just carried that on.”