Pep Guardiola shut down Kevin De Bruyne to Saudi Arabia speculation and is "95 per cent" sure there will be no changes to his Manchester City squad.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
De Bruyne linked with a transfer to Saudi ArabiaHas one year left on his current dealGuardiola insisted the midfielder will stay putWHAT HAPPENED?
The Belgium international has one year remaining on his contract with City which has led Saudi Pro League authorities to express an active interest in acquiring his services. Last month, De Bruyne acknowledged the financial allure of a potential move to Saudi Arabia, which added fuel to the speculation. Despite this, Guardiola remains unfazed and is resolute in his belief that De Bruyne will stay put.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT PEP GUARDIOLA SAID
Before City's opening pre-season match against Celtic, scheduled to be played in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Guardiola assured the fans that De Bruyne would not be leaving the Etihad.
"Kevin isn’t leaving," Guardiola declared to the press. "If someone leaves, we are going to talk about that and, of course, until the last day [of the transfer window] we have chances. I don’t rule out new players as an option, but I think there is an 85, 90, 95% chance we will have the same squad."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Last season, De Bruyne played a pivotal role in City's triumphant Premier League campaign, helping the team secure their fourth consecutive title and his sixth overall with the club. Meanwhile, first-choice keeper Ederson is also being linked with a move to the Middle East. Although Guardiola did not directly address the rumours, his remarks indicate that the Premier League outfit will everything possible to hold on to the Brazilian shot-stopper.
Getty WHAT NEXT?
City’s Premier League title defence is set to commence with a challenging fixture against Chelsea on August 18. However, before that, they will play against derby rivals Manchester United on August 10 at Wembley in the curtain-raiser of the English football season – the Community Shield.
