Manchester City Set to Splurge $161 Million on Kevin De Bruyne Replacement Amid Saudi Arabia’s Interest-Reports

Whenever Kevin De Bruyne stepped onto the pitch this season, magic followed. Stepping onto the pitch, however, has been the problem for the Belgian midfielder in the campaign which is on its final lap. The Premier League season is almost done and dusted and the Belgian has played just 16 matches! Soon to be 33, the midfielder is no spring chicken and his injuries have had a recurring theme. As such, there are question marks over the playmaker’s future at Etihad. And now, it seems that Manchester City are keen on one of the Bundesliga’s finest midfielders.

As per the CaughtOffside exclusive, Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz is the chosen one to replace De Bruyne. The German midfielder has been the architect in Leverkusen’s unbeaten Bundesliga triumph. His figures read 18 goals and 19 assists in 46 games, reminiscent of KDB in his prime. Moreover, coached by Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen is a possession-heavy team, and fitting into Manchester City’s style won’t be an issue. But, the Sky Blues face stiff competition for the 21-year-old’s signature.

According to the report, Bayern Munich, PSG, and Real Madrid are also keen on the German starlet. Leverkusen considers the playmaker untouchable but it is believed that an offer of $161 million could seal the deal. A huge sum, but part of it can be financed by KDB himself. The Belgian has a longstanding interest in Saudi clubs Al Nassr and Al Ittihad. The story is that the Saudi clubs will up to $75 million for KDB. This could help ignite the Wirtz deal. Furthermore, Wirtz is not the only Leverkusen star targeted by Manchester City.

Manchester City might have lined up their Kyle Walker replacement

Just like KDB, Kyle Walker is also on the wrong side of the 30s. The full-back’s contract expires in 2026 and it looks like an extension is not in the works. According to the Sun, Manchester City has targetted Leverkusen’s Dutch sensation Jeremie Frimpong. Notably, Frimpong was an academy star and left the club in 2019 for Celtic. His best form has come under Xabi Alonso. This season, the defender has 14 goals and 12 assists. To put it into context, that’s more goals than Manchester City’s wing pairing of Grealish and Doku!

Here also, the competition is expected to be fierce. Rivals Manchester United have reportedly sent scouts to watch the full-back. Dutch manager Erik ten Hag wants to bolster his backline next season and Frimpong is a top target. However, the academy connection might tilt the advantage in Manchester City’s favor. If all goes to plan, Frimpong could join next season, learn from Walker, and play a season or two together. A perfect transition, just how Pep Guardiola would prefer it.