Veteran midfielder De Bruyne is the brightest name to join San Diego FC, the new MLS (American professional soccer league) team, after this year’s season ends. The 33-year-old Belgian star has proactively announced his farewell to Man City when his contract expires on June 30. He will choose to play in the US for the next stage of his career, instead of going to Saudi Arabia as some rumors said, AS said.
“De Bruyne has been linked with San Diego FC since last summer. Some sources confirmed that the Belgian player has reached a preliminary agreement with the American team, but he is still waiting for a signal from Man City whether to extend or not. However, Man City has been silent until now, forcing him to make the decision to part ways and choose a destination in the US. This place has Messi and promises to attract more stars from this summer,” AS further revealed.
Accordingly, not only De Bruyne, but also a number of big-name players playing in European national leagues who are no longer able to have their contracts renewed by their clubs have chosen to join MLS teams.
Among them, Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann is being linked with a move to Los Angeles FC with two former teammates on the French national team, goalkeeper Lloris and striker Giroud, or to Inter Miami with Messi.
Veteran midfielder Thomas Muller has also confirmed his departure from German club Bayern Munich. The 35-year-old is currently attracting interest from a number of MLS clubs, including FC Cincinnati, San Diego FC and Los Angeles FC.
Another surprise name is Liverpool’s top centre-back Virgil van Dijk, who could also choose to play in MLS, while there are also many clubs in Saudi Arabia offering him a move.
Virgil van Dijk, along with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah, are three players whose contracts with the Anfield team are about to expire. But only number one striker Salah is likely to be retained by Liverpool, according to AS .
While Alexander-Arnold has chosen to go to Real Madrid. Only Virgil van Dijk’s future is still unclear. A number of MLS clubs have therefore jumped into the race, wanting to negotiate and hoping to bring this excellent central defender to play in the United States.
Meanwhile, there is also a high possibility that in June this year, star Neymar, when his short-term contract with Santos expires, will return to his original intention of going to Inter Miami with his close friend Messi.
Neymar returned to Brazil to play for Santos for 7 matches, scoring 3 goals and providing 3 assists. But he continued to miss matches due to injury. Santos fans went from hope to disappointment, making it difficult for the 33-year-old player to continue playing for the team where he was born.
Neymar himself has yet to make any official announcement about his long-term commitment to Santos after signing a short-term contract of only 6 months. He can completely choose a new destination after this contract ends on June 30.
Among them, going to Inter Miami with Messi is completely possible, AS said. Messi’s contract with Inter Miami will also expire at the end of 2025, but there is a high possibility that the 37-year-old player will sign a contract extension for at least another year until after the 2026 World Cup.
