Manchester City close on £59 million Kevin de Bruyne deal

David Cooper - Writer 04:13 27/08/2015
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  • Heading back to England: De Bruyne.

    Manchester City are expected to finalise the £59 million (Dh284m) capture of Wolfsburg’s Kevin De Bruyne in the next 48 hours.

    The Belgian winger has been a top target for Manuel Pellegrini and it appears his summer-long pursuit of the 24-year-old is set to reach its climax.

    German publications kicker and Wolfsburger Allgemein Zeitung suggested last night that the deal has been agreed in principle and should be finalised today or Friday.

    It is reported De Bruyne will undergo a medical in Manchester on Thursday ahead of the move having already agreed personal terms on six-year deal purported to be worth in the region of £250,000 (Dh3.4m) per week.

    Should the deal go through, City will smash the previous £49m (Dh278m) clubrecord fee paid to Liverpool for Raheem Sterling and would see De Bruyne command the second highest fee from an English club behind the £59.7m (Dh339m) Manchester United paid for Angel di Maria last summer.

    The move will also mean City take their summer spree past the £150m (Dh852m) mark having also added defender Nicolas Otamendi (£32m/Dh182m) and midfielders Fabian Delph (£8m/Dh45m), Patrick Roberts (£11m/Dh63m) and Enes Unal (£2m/Dh11m).

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    De Bruyne’s stunning form for the Wolves last season saw him plunder 10 times and claim 20 assists in 34 Bundesliga outings. It’s propelled the former Chelsea outcast into one of Europe’s hottest properties.

    But his performances of late have slipped with the ongoing uncertainty surrounding his future and the reigning Bundesliga Player of the Year struggled to make an impact in the 1-1 draw with Cologne on Saturday.

    Despite the widespread reports in Germany, De Bruyne’s agent Patrick De Koster refused to confirm any agreement had been struck, although he hinted that an announcement could be imminent.

    “I’m having dinner with Kevin at the moment but we have no news,” he said. “We are relaxed about the situation and we will see what happens in the next day or two. Kevin is not desperate to leave Wolfsburg but hopefully there will be a conclusion soon.”

    Respected Belgian journalist Kristof Terreur wrote on Twitter: “Negotiations are still going on, but there’s a willingness to agree. It’s all about fine tuning. Deal almost there and Kevin De Bruyne will be the most expensive Belgian ever.”

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