City can’t afford NOT to give Kev a £100k pay rise
THERE is a suggestion Kevin de Bruyne has not been overly impressed by Manchester City’s opening contract gambit.
Even though his current deal does not expire until 2023, the club are keen to tie him down for longer – and preliminary discussions have, apparently, taken place.
They are so preliminary, De Bruyne has not even bothered getting a super agent involved.
Or even a not-so-super agent.
Here is a midfielder so talented, he can see a clause as well as a pass.
Conservative estimates suggest De Bruyne currently earns comfortably in excess of £250,000 a week.
But he believes a hefty pay rise would be in keeping with his standing as, arguably, the Premier
League’s best footballer.
After all,
David de
Gea (right) pockets
£350,000 a week – and is spared Carabao Cup duty – and Mesut Ozil gets similar… and is spared duty.
It is not a simple equation, though. The De Gea and Ozil packages, for example, were pre-Covid contracts.
Surely there has to be some recalibration, even in the financially bizarre world of football.
But even in an individual performance that was not as eye-catching as some, there was still plenty of evidence to remind City executives why keeping this man happy is key to the club’s future.
There was as pure a strike as you could wish for that shook the United upright (above) and a majestic left-footed pass to set Foden free.
But De Bruyne’s game is more than a about single moments of brilliance. Much mor more.
He is the g gliding heart of everything P Pep Guardiola wants to do do. Receive, give and go. Time a after time. Wonderf Wonderful in its simplicity.
Hand Handing out pay rises of a hu hundred grand a week might m not be on any clu club’s agenda right now. Bu But in the case of De Bruyn Bruyne, maybe City shou should make an exce exception.
Hi His influence spreads far a and wide, and it was a tel telling free-kick from Fode Foden that left United flat-fo flat-footed – and John Sto Stones free to score at
th the far post.