Kevin De Bruyne's potential next destination revealed
- De Bruyne leaving Manchester City in the summer at end of contract
- Belgian will depart Premier League champions as a bona fide legend
- San Diego previously linked with move but Inter Miami may swoop to take De Bruyne to MLS
Departing Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne could end up joining Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, reports state.
The legendary Belgian announced on Friday that he will be leaving City after a decade-long tenure that has yielded six Premier League titles, five EFL Cups, two FA Cups and Champions League success in 2023.
De Bruyne has been extensively linked with new MLS franchise San Diego, with reports dating back to May last year, while a lucrative move to the cash-rich Saudi Pro League has been mooted as he moves into the twilight of his career.
However, The Athletic report that Inter Miami, who have Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba on their books, hold De Bruyne's MLS discovery rights – a mechanism that essentially means Miami have first refusal to negotiate a contract.
Things are a little complicated though, owing to MLS' rules around designated players. Each franchise can own up to three of these players and Miami's slots are already taken up by Messi, Busquets and Alba – meaning De Bruyne could only be signed using targeted allocation money (TAM).
De Bruyne's potential earnings in Miami would be capped as a result, with a sizeable increase only possible if one of the three aforementioned players were to leave. It's not out of the realms of possibility for Miami to do this, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic previously joining LA Galaxy in similar circumstances.
For now, De Bruyne's focus is on winning one last trophy as a Manchester City player. Nottingham Forest await in the semi-finals of the FA Cup – a date set up by the comeback 2-1 win over Bournemouth – and the 33-year-old also has a key role to play in helping the club qualify for next season's Champions League.
An unthinkable prospect at the beginning of the season, City are embroiled in a hugely competitive scrap for a top four finish, though fifth will likely end up being good enough to qualify for the Champions League thanks to English football's strong coefficient.
City are sixth as it stands, a point behind Chelsea and Newcastle United, with Aston Villa just a point adrift in seventh. Forest, meanwhile, are a shock third, six ahead of the reigning Premier League champions.
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