Kevin De Bruyne has no idea if this will be his last season at Manchester City but says he is “not worried” about his future.
De Bruyne’s contract expires in June but talks over a renewal were shelved when he suffered his latest injury which has restricted him to just nine appearances this season.
The Belgium playmaker is set to return to the starting line-up as City look to end their five-game losing streak against Feyenoord tomorrow night but admits he does not know what will happen at the end of the season.
De Bruyne is reportedly City’s highest earner but has struggled with numerous injuries over the past 12 months.
Asked if he was expecting talks to start over a new deal, he said: “I honestly don’t know. At the start of the season, I knew talks would happen but then the thing [injury] happened in Brentford. It was meant to be a couple of days and then it was eight/nine weeks. I put it all to the side.
“I’m not too worried. I’m fine. I’m happy, I just want to play good football again and the future, we’ll see.
“I only can really give you the answers, but I don’t know. If there’s no talks it will be my last year at the club, but I don’t know.
“I had a conversation in the summer, but then I had the injury so I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to talk about that. I need to be back on the pitch and be myself again. There’s no rush, I don’t feel uncomfortable, I’m not worried.”
KEVIN 💬 I can help them [the team] but you can only do so much from the side. It’s frustrating because I know if I was feeling good I could help the team but I wasn’t able to do that. I was kind of training but there’s only so much, that’s not a nice feeling. pic.twitter.com/Gg8VMsNPSX
— Manchester City (@ManCity) November 25, 2024
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Pep staying might help – De Bruyne
City boss Pep Guardiola signed a two-year contract extension last week that will keep him at the Etihad until June 2027 and De Bruyne, who has been linked with clubs in Saudi Arabia and the United States, said that may influence his decision.
“It could help,” he added. “I know what the future holds, I don’t have to speak to Pep about what is happening in the future, if there would be a new coach, you have to speak.
“Maybe Pep changes his mind and says thank you Kevin it is time to leave, but I know how he works with the team and the players so that is nothing new to me.
“Questions will come but I can only give you the answers I give at this time. Talks will come, if no talks come it will be my last year. I just want to play good football.”
Latest injury has been “the most frustrating”
De Bruyne’s latest niggle, a groin problem, has kept him out for longer than expected having also missed five months with a hamstring injury last season.
He said: “This has been the most frustrating injury. When I was out for five or six months, I knew that was the case. This time, I didn’t know how long it would take to get better. I’m doing a lot of stuff to do that. I was happy that against Tottenham, I could see something different to the previous two games I came on.
“It was basically abdomen pain that was going around my groin, so I couldn’t really shoot, I’ve been trying to get my power back.
“It’s taken a long time, but on Friday it got better. I can’t explain it. The last few days, it’s been better. I’m hoping that goes upwards.”
