TalkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor believes Manchester City will win the title easily if they can keep Kevin De Bruyne “fit for the whole season”.
The Belgian international missed the first half of last campaign due to a serious hamstring injury and, while Pep Guardiola’s side still secured first, it was a close race with Arsenal, who ended up just two points behind them in second. Agbonlahor claims that, if De Bruyne remains injury-free, they will comfortably finish top of the table:
“I think now that he is back fit and if he can be fit for the whole season, they will win the league by more than two points this time. I just look at his pass for [Erling] Haaland’s goal [against Ipsiwch]. A lot of midfielders don’t even see that ball.”
“He sees this tiny gap to play in behind for Haaland and great finish from Haaland. And also, he was in and around the edge of the box to take his goal well but it’s the range of passing he has got, he has still got that range of passing that he can show. When he gets the ball, every player can make whatever run they want, so for me, it was a very good performance once again from Kevin De Bruyne.”
De Bruyne’s record in English football is phenomenal
Since moving from Wolfsburg in the summer of 2015, the 33-year-old has lifted six Premier League titles, having scored 69 goals and provided 115 assists in 262 appearances.
In terms of personal accolades, De Bruyne has been voted the PFA Players’ Player of the Year on two separate occasions.
Will the midfielder leave City at the end of the season?
De Bruyne’s contract at the Etihad Stadium does expire next June and there is currently no sign that he will be handed an extension by the club.
While the midfielder is the club’s highest earner, his performances have remained consistently excellent so it is somewhat surprising that negotiations over a new deal haven’t taken place.
De Bruyne has expressed an interest in moving to Saudi Arabia while there is a possibility that he could also move to the United States.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
