When Kevin De Bruyne steps off the pitch for the last time for Manchester City, he will do so as one of the best-ever players to run a midfield in the English Premier League’s modern era.
After announcing that he is set to leave the club after City’s season comes to an end, speculation has run rampant about what his future may hold. While he’s undoubtedly dropped from his peak years, the Belgian midfielder still has a lot to offer and will have choices about his future.
As much as Saudi Arabia and another European club, albeit likely outside the Premier League, remain options, MLS and its teams are focused on luring him to North America, ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
On Wednesday, The Athletic’s Paul Tenorio reported that four clubs are in the running to sign him, including Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami CF, Chicago Fire FC, D.C. United and New York City FC, all of which came after initial links with San Diego FC, which have since been tempered.
1. Inter Miami CF
Joining Inter Miami would be the most complicated move for Kevin De Bruyne, but it would also be the most enticing in terms of continuing to play with some of the world’s best players and contending for trophies.
According to multiple reports, Miami owns his MLS Discovery Rights, giving the star-studded Florida club the inside track on adding him. However, if he were to sign in the summer of 2025, he would have to do so as a non-designated player, making a maximum of $871,875 for the remainder of 2025 as a max-TAM player. It’s a similar path to how Zlatan Ibrahimovic joined the LA Galaxy, but one that would make him less money, with no formal guarantees of a future contract either.
