City boost as Kevin signs on
KEVIN DE BRUYNE is poised to hand Manchester City the perfect early Christmas present by signing a new five-year contract.
The Belgian has agreed a deal worth in excess of £200,000 a week that makes him one of the club’s highest paid stars.
He will net an extra £500,000 if City win the Premier League and £750,000 if they are crowned kings of Europe.
His decision to pen a new deal is a huge blow to Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The Spanish giants were both interested in signing De Bruyne, but City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak has moved quickly to secure the midfielder’s long-term future.
Al-Mubarak was keen to reward De Bruyne (right) for his stunning progress under City boss Pep Guardiola.
De Bruyne, who has doubled his basic wage, has
developed into one of the best players in the world.
He has become the driving force behind City’s remarkable charge towards the Premier League title.
City have an 11-point lead at the top following a record run of 16 straight league wins.
Guardiola now rates De Bruyne alongside world greats Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
De Bruyne admits he is loving life in Manchester and has never been tempted to leave. He said: “I always say that a lot of things can happen very quickly in football, but I’m 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, 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. I feel good.”
De Bruyne joined City from Wolfsburg in 2015 for a club record £55m. But Guardiola (pictured with De Bruyne, right) knows the 26-year-old has not reached his peak yet and is crucial to his future plans.
Starsport revealed yesterday that City will open contract talks with Guardiola in the summer. Greater Manchester Police are investigating an incident of alleged racially aggravated assault on City’s Raheem Sterling before Saturday’s 4-1 win over Spurs.
A police spokesperson said: “Officers are treating it as a hate crime.”