Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Kevin De Bruyne will not be leaving the club during this summer’s transfer window despite reported interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia.
The 33-year-old has been the subject of intense speculation over his future in recent weeks having now entered the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium.
De Bruyne has emerged as a potential target for Al Ittihad, with one report last weekend claiming that the playmaker has agreed personal terms with the Saudi Pro League club.
The Belgium international has previously admitted that he may find it difficult to turn down an “incredible” big-money contract offer from the Middle East having now entered the latter stages of his career.
However, reports of a transfer to Al Ittihad this summer have since been quashed, with it now understood that De Bruyne is yet to agree terms to join the Saudi side, who currently have Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante on their books.
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De Bruyne is due to link up with Man City’s pre-season squad in the United States in due course and in the meantime, manager Guardiola has made his stance clear over the Belgian’s future at the club.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Citizens’ friendly against Celtic in North Carolina on Wednesday, Guardiola said: “Kevin isn’t leaving,” before adding on the rest of his squad: “If someone leaves, we’re going to talk about that.
“Of course, until the last day, we have chances [to make transfers], I don’t rule it out the option to have new players but I think there is an 85, 90% chance we will have the same squad.
“I feel comfortable, because the quality of human beings we have in the squad is difficult to be replaced, and the quality is there.
“But we’ll see, I don’t know in the last moment if someone comes for some players and they leave, we’re going to decide.”
