Kevin De Bruyne gave Manchester City fans a memory of a lifetime by playing a key role in his last game at the Etihad Stadium in a 3-1 win against AFC Bournemouth.
The Belgian maestro looked lively and being the consummate professional he is, the 33-year-old did not seem overawed by the emotion of the occasion.
Instead, Kevin De Bruyne seemed right up for the contest as he seemed driven to help City gain a place in the Champions League next season.
In the following campaign, the midfield maestro’s exit sums up Manchester City’s plans to rebuild their squad.
Pep Guardiola aims to win the Premier League again and as a result, City could be open to making wholesale changes to their squad.
Jack Grealish may have played last Man City game at the Etihad Stadium vs Bournemouth
Jack Grealish is one man who may well be set for the exit door and with that being the case, perhaps Pep Guardiola subbed him on to make his final appearance for Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium against Bournemouth.
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However, Grealish did not feature against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final — which sums up how Guardiola views him as the Catalan gave Claudio Echeverri his debut in their eventual 1-0 loss instead.
Photo by Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Photo by Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Manchester City are ready to sell Grealish — who has been ousted by both Jeremy Doku and Omar Marmoush in the left-wing position.
The England international’s poor injury record coupled with his underwhelming displays have perhaps led City to make the decision to part ways with him.
The former Aston Villa wideman also turns 30 in September, which is perhaps why Hugo Viana might reckon that it would be best to move him on and reinforce the left-wing position.
With Grealish being Manchester City’s third-highest paid player, his exit would facilitate the addition of another big-name signing this summer; but due to his valuable contribution to the Sky Blues’ treble triumph in 2023, he certainly deserved to be cheered on by the home fans against Bournemouth.
Four clubs are interested in signing Grealish
Grealish was keen to prove Gareth Southgate wrong at the start of the season for excluding him from England’s squad for the European Championship last year but he has failed to do so.
This campaign, the three-time Premier League winner has made just 16 starts in all competitions.
JACK GREALISH PLAYING TIME THIS SEASON STARTS
PREMIER LEAGUE 4
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 8
FA CUP 4
CARABAO CUP 1
TOTAL 16
Tottenham are interested in signing Grealish and so are the likes of AC Milan, Newcastle United and Aston Villa as he still has plenty of suitors.
While it would be best for Grealish’s career that he leaves Manchester City in the summer, the player himself would be hoping that his outing against Bournemouth is not his final one in sky blue.