Premier League
De Bruyne bids Man City farewell as one of the all-time greats
When Manchester City signed Kevin De Bruyne for a record fee in 2015, the sceptics wondered if the Belgian who flopped at Chelsea was worth the money, but after a decade of remarkable service he will leave the club as a Premier League great.
Few have had the ability to alter the course of a game like De Bruyne did in his prime as he became the central cog in City’s all-conquering side.
But after injuries limited his appearances in the last two campaigns, the 33-year-old De Bruyne has decided to leave the club at the end of the season, with his legacy as one of the league’s best ever creative playmakers set in stone.
“Football led me to all of you and to this city. Chasing my dream, not knowing this period would change my life,” De Bruyne said.
“This city, this club, these people gave me everything. I had no choice but to give everything back! And guess what – we won everything.”
When the sun sets on his City career, De Bruyne will leave the club second on the list for most Premier League assists (currently on 118) – behind only Ryan Giggs, who needed 22 years to amass 162.
De Bruyne also equalled Thierry Henry’s record of 20 assists in a season in the 2019-20 campaign while no player has created more chances than the Belgian since his City debut in 2015.
He has been involved in 280 goals for City in all competitions, which include 174 assists.
His glittering decade-long City career will finish with six Premier League titles, five League Cups, two FA Cups with potentially a third next month and a Champions League crown the club strived so hard to win after several failures.
The construction of another statue outside the Etihad Stadium to mark his achievements seems almost inevitable.
“I would bet a lot of money that it (building a statue to honour De Bruyne) is going to happen,” City manager Pep Guardiola said.
“There’s no doubt he’s one of the greatest, for sure.”
‘THE 60 MILLION REJECT’
None of this was foreseen, however, when he made his return to England, with one unforgiving newspaper taking great pains to paint him as “The 60 million pound reject”.
Following an ill-fated spell at Chelsea where he was rarely used by Jose Mourinho and sent out on loan twice, De Bruyne left England and made a name for himself at VfL Wolfsburg.
He dazzled in Germany with 20 goals and 37 assists in 73 games for Wolfsburg before City decided to splurge on the then 24-year-old.
A fee in the region of 50 million pounds ($65.08 million) was spent to make him City’s most expensive signing and the first thing he said was that he wanted to “reach the highest level possible as a player” at City, which he certainly did.
Only a handful of players have the ability to see two moves ahead and make a pass with incredible and devastating precision.
Be it threading the needle or finding a teammate with a teasing cross into the box, De Bruyne’s passes were consistently highlight reel material.
Even when he was not assisting his teammates, defenders were wary of his ability to drive through midfield as well as his eye for goal and unerring knack of finding the top corner.
When Guardiola took over at City in 2016, he knew the squad he inherited needed major surgery.
But after a decade of players coming and going at the club, De Bruyne has remained a constant in an era when City made winning a habit.
“His assists, his goals, his vision in the final third is so difficult to replace. Everyone can make actions but over how many years and games is what makes him unique,” Guardiola said.
“His performance during this decade has been outstanding. We’ve won a lot of trophies and he’s been involved in every single one.
-Reuters
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Thomas Partey, who formerly played for English Premier League soccer club Arsenal, has been charged with rape and sexual assault, London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday.
Partey, a Ghana international, was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, with the charges relating to three women and the offences reported to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, the statement said.
Partey’s management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
He is due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Aug. 5.
Partey, 32, was signed by Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros ($59 million) in October 2020 and became a key member of Arsenal’s first team.
He was first arrested in July 2022, though he was not named at the time and continued to play for Arsenal while investigations were ongoing.
-Reuters
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Five players including England forward Marcus Rashford and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho have informed Manchester United that they wish to explore a future away from the Premier League side, a club source said on Friday.
Brazilian midfielder Antony, Dutch defender Tyrell Malacia and England international Jadon Sancho are also looking to leave the club, the source added.
Rashford, who has made more than 400 senior appearances for United, has fallen out of favour with manager Ruben Amorim, played for Aston Villa on loan while United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings.
Amorim had called Rashford’s work rate into question, saying he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all.
Rashford said he was feeling fitter and better since joining Villa, where he scored two goals in 10 league appearances.
United also failed to qualify for the Champions League as they lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. Garnacho, who was a late substitute in the final, voiced his displeasure on social media after the loss.
“Up until the final, I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don’t know,” he wrote in a post . “The final will influence (my decision), but the whole season, the situation of the club.”
Sancho was on loan at Chelsea, where he made 31 league appearances last season. Antony, who joined United from Ajax Amsterdam in 2022 for a reported initial transfer fee of more than $100 million, scored five goals in 17 LaLiga appearances on loan at Real Betis.
Malacia joined Dutch side PSV Eindhoven on loan in February.
-Reuters
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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned down the opportunity to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in order to keep playing “at the highest level”, he said on Tuesday.
The Portuguese midfielder admitted that he had considered the move, which media reports said was worth four times his current salary, after being contacted by Al-Hilal’s president.
“There was that possibility, the president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask me about it,” Fernandes, who is preparing to face Germany with Portugal, told reporters on Tuesday.
“It was a big offer, very ambitious. There was a waiting period for me to think about the future.”
Fernandes ultimately decided to stay at United and said he was motivated by his desire to continue playing at the top level and encouraged by his family and the club’s coach Ruben Amorim.
“I would be willing to do it if Manchester United thought so,” Fernandes added. “I spoke to the coach Ruben Amorim who really tried to talk me out of it. The club said they would not be willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave.
“I spoke to my wife and family, and she asked me what my personal goals were in my career.
“It would have been easy to move there but I want to keep myself at the highest level, playing in the big competitions and I feel capable of it. I am happy with my decision.”
The 30-year-old Fernandes scored 19 goals and provided 19 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions for United last season, winning the club’s Player of the Year award for the fourth time.
However, it was a season to forget for the team, as they finished 15th in the Premier League, their lowest league finish in half a century, and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
-Reuters
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