4 potential replacements for Kevin De Bruyne at Man City

How do you replace one of the greatest midfielders in Premier League history? Well, that's the unenviable question now facing Manchester City.

Kevin De Bruyne will be departing the Etihad Stadium at the end of the current campaign following a decade of exceptional service. The Belgian has been instrumental in Pep Guardiola's all-conquering City side dominating English football and he will exit a transformative figure in the Premier League.

Injuries have limited De Bruyne's impact over the past two years as Father Time's cruel grip tightens but memories of mesmeric midfield displays will live on for some time Astoundingly accurate distribution, thunderbolts from range and effortless 30-yard glides will be hard to replace.

But that's the challenge that City and their recruitment team must overcome as they usher in a new era. Finding a like-for-like replacement may be impossible but there are an array of stunning midfield talents across Europe who could help fill the void.

Florian Wirtz

There isn't a club across world football that wouldn't be improved by the presence of Florian Wirtz. The 21-year-old's ascent with Bayer Leverkusen has been staggering and despite his tender age, he's already accumulated almost 200 appearances with Die Werkself. An ACL injury threatened to derail his early development, but the attacking midfielder has bounced back impressively.

Wirtz was integral to Leverkusen's historic unbeaten double last season, scoring 18 and assisting 19 in all competitions as Xabi Alonso forged a swashbuckling side around him. The young German international's penchant for seemingly creating space out of thin air and his relentless output make him one of Europe's most formidable forces.

Unsurprisingly, such consistently outstanding performances have already caught the eye of City - among many others - and Wirtz would certainly be a generational talent capable of continuing De Bruyne's legacy. While not identical players by any stretch, they share excellent distribution, underappreciated agility and an eye for goal as core attributes.

Wirtz's enormous price tag - almost certainly over £100m - is the only downside to what would be an exceptional addition.

Xavi Simons

Speaking of precious Bundesliga talents, enter Xavi Simons. The Dutchman finally secured a permanent Paris Saint-Germain exit during the most recent winter transfer window as he continues his eye-catching development with RB Leipzig.

Having managed 23 goal contributions with the German side last season, speculation raged over the attacking midfielder's long-term future amid significant Bayern Munich interest last summer. Signing permanently with Leipzig has not ended such transfer talk ahead of the coming window, however, and the Premier League has been touted as his next destination.

City would be naive to ignore Simons as a potential heir to De Bruyne's throne. The versatile 21-year-old, who also readily features in wide positions, has a natural flair that is simply unteachable, and while he's slightly behind the likes of Wirtz and Bayern's Jamal Musiala in his development, the sky remains the limit for the Netherlands international.

Simons boasts De Bruyne's ability to float across the turf effortlessly, evading opposition challenges with neat footwork and quick changes of direction. Goals and assists are commonplace for the youngster, too, who could be available for an affordable price of approximately £60m this summer - a much cheaper alternative to Wirtz.

Morgan Rogers

Morgan Rogers showed signs of promise during his first half-season at Aston Villa but he's surpassed all expectations during his first full campaign in the West Midlands. Unai Emery's exceptional man-management abilities have seen the attacking midfielder, who is also comfortable out wide, earn his first England caps and breach 20 goal contributions in all competitions at club level.

But City already knew about the immense potential of Rogers prior to his Villa switch. The 22-year-old spent four years with Guardiola's side at the beginning of his career, although he failed to make an appearance before departing for Middlesbrough permanently in 2023. Six months after his arrival at the Riverside Stadium, Villa had seen enough to convince them. They splashed out £15m on Rogers in Janaury 2024 and he hasn't looked back since.

Rogers would not be an out-and-out replacement for De Bruyne. The pair are very different individuals and don't quite occupy the same spaces, although the Villa star has showcased his versatility under Emery. But there have been few attacking midfielders more devastating than Rogers this season, who has the tireless work rate to match his incredible technical skill.

Morgan Gibbs-White

Rogers is not the only Englishman sparkling in a number ten role in the midlands. Morgan Gibbs-White is enjoying another hugely successful campaign with Nottingham Forest, who look destined to secure surprise Champions League qualification this season. They could even win the FA Cup should they bypass City in the semi-final.

Gibbs-White has been integral to Forest's astonishing campaign, even if a fairly modest tally of five goals and seven assists doesn't necessarily jump off the page. Unlike Wirtz, Simons and Rogers, the Forest star has the ability to operate as a more defensive presence in a well-organised Nuno Espirito Santo side. No passengers are carried off the ball at the City Ground.

But Gibbs-White is still renowned for his attacking creativity, finding pockets of space in between the lines and threading passes to quick, agile wingers. City were on the receiving end of one such devastating delivery in their 1-0 defeat to Forest back in early March as a De Bruyne-esque through ball was latched on to and eventually converted by Callum Hudson-Odoi.

According to The Athletic, Gibbs-White is one of those being assessed as a potential De Bruyne replacement this summer - alongside the aforementioned Wirtz. There's no reason the 25-year-old can't blossom further under Guardiola.

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