After a decade of service to Manchester City, Kevin de Bruyne will move away from the Etihad Stadium this summer, having announced he would be leaving not long before the 2024/25 season ended. A midfielder, the Belgian began his career with Genk back in 2008, establishing himself in their first team across a four-year tenure at the club.
The form and potential of De Bruyne attracted suitors and in 2012, the Belgian moved to England, joining Chelsea. Six months after his move, the midfielder joined Werder Bremen on loan and despite a successful season, could not break into the Chelsea first-team, leading to a permanent departure in the winter of 2014.
De Bruyne moved back to Germany to join Wolfsburg, where he truly blossomed as a player. His consistently brilliant displays in the Bundesliga across 18 months saw Manchester City move for the midfielder in 2015. At the time of his arrival for £55 million, De Bruyne was the second-most expensive player in British footballing history and he would do more than enough to justify that pricetag.
Kevin De Bruyne's Final Season at Manchester City
Competition
Premier League
Champions League
FA Cup
Just one year after De Bruyne moved to City, the club appointed Pep Guardiola as their manager. Under the Spaniard, De Bruyne remained an immovable part of the club’s midfield, with Guardiola bringing out the best in the Belgian international who, for years, has dazzled onlookers with his stunning goals and simply sublime passing range.
In 10 years with Manchester City, De Bruyne won six Premier League titles, four of which were consecutive between 2021 and 2024. He also won two FA Cups, five League Cups and a Champions League, the latter coming as part of a European treble in the 2022/23 campaign. De Bruyne is, without doubt, one of the greatest-ever Premier League midfielders.
At 33 years old, De Bruyne still has time at the highest level of the game, which he could well remain at. The midfielder has shared the pitch with some incredible talents, but which Premier League players did De Bruyne feel were his toughest opponents?
‘Those Two Stood Out’
De Bruyne full of praise for midfield duo
Earlier in 2025, speaking to Sky Sports via City Xtra, De Bruyne revealed which players he had faced in his illustrious Premier League career that he felt were the toughest. The Belgian said:
“In the Premier League, I’d say (N’Golo) Kante, Fabinho was really strong at his time with (Jordan) Henderson and (James) Milner because they covered so much space, (they were) so aggressive. But I’d say these two (Kante and Fabinho) stood out, probably most difficult in the way that they played. Kante is small but covered so much space and he’s a bit tricky…Kante’s speed, agility, a very different player.”
Both Kante and Fabinho, at the time of writing, play for Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, the duo having joined in 2023 from Chelsea and Liverpool respectively. Kante’s first taste of English football came with Leicester City, the midfielder joining the Foxes as a complete unknown from French football.
In his sole season at the King Power Stadium, Kante became a key part of the Claudio Ranieri team that shocked the world by winning the Premier League title. Kante’s form earned him a move to Chelsea where, across seven years, he would win numerous further honours, along with being part of the World Cup-winning France team in 2018.
Fabinho, meanwhile, moved to Liverpool from Monaco in 2018, soon becoming an essential part of Jurgen Klopp’s midfield, sitting just above the defence. The Brazilian helped Liverpool win the Champions League in his debut campaign, winning a Premier League title the following season.
De Bruyne played against both midfielders numerous times in the Premier League, experiencing their abilities first-hand. To be dubbed the toughest opponents De Bruyne has faced in his time as an English top flight player is an incredible compliment, given the mercurial talent the Belgian possesses.
( All stats are fromTransfermarktand are correct as of 29/05/2025 )
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