Manchester City expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany can understand why Kevin De Bruyne will feel "hurt" by the Citizens' decision not to renew his contract, but he believes that it might be "a necessary evil" for the club to part ways with the legendary playmaker.
De Bruyne confirmed at the beginning of April that he will bring the curtain down on his glittering 10-year career at the Etihad Stadium when his contract expires at the end of the season.
The six-time Premier League winner is unsure whether he will represent Pep Guardiola's side at this summer's FIFA Club World Cup, and as things stand, his contract will run out on June 30, two days after his 34th birthday.
De Bruyne scored the match-winner in City's narrow 1-0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League last week, and after the match, he insisted: "I have shown I can still play here, otherwise I don't do what I do these last four or five weeks."
As painful as it is from a Man City supporters' perspective to see a club icon like De Bruyne leave, McInerney understands Man City's "motivations" behind their decision to part ways with their injury-prone No.17.
"It's really painful as a City fan watching this play out," McInerney told Sports Mole. "I don't think it would be taken personally, but you can tell it's definitely hurt his pride a little bit.
"I think a lot of it (wanting to stay at City) is probably down to family reasons, I don't think he wants to move. I think that's the grand idea behind his motivation. As much as he wants to play at the top, I think a lot of it is he's settled in Manchester, he's got a family home there and a beautiful young family, and I think he's just very, very happy here in general.
'There are signs that De Bruyne is not a special footballer anymore'
"If he could carry on playing in the North West for another team (Manchester United), I think he'd be quite content, but I don't think he will, he's not going to do that, thankfully.
"It's hard to deny that De Bruyne does seem a little bit put out by this. Great players feel that they can play for an awful long time, they always do. I do think it's hard to deny there isn't a slight drop-off.
"De Bruyne wasn't just a high-level footballer, De Bruyne is a special footballer and I have got no intention of playing down Kevin De Bruyne, I haven't, but this current version of Kevin De Bruyne isn't the version of De Bruyne that set alight the Premier League for 10 years, and I mean that with the greatest respect.
"He's still really good don't get me wrong, and he's still a top-class player, but I do think there are signs that he's not a special footballer anymore, in terms of what he can do, being better than anyone else on the pitch.
"I don't see those perfectly-weighted through-balls that you just go: 'How has he done that?' He doesn't make me gasp out loud as much as he used to - that's not to say he doesn't deserve to stay - but I understand Man City's motivations of thinking maybe at this point, at this age, with the injuries (that it is time to move on).
"[The club's turbulent season] was a message to Man City to move on, and symbolically, I can't think of any greater measure than moving on from your greatest-ever player. You don't have to like it, I don't like it really and I would be delighted if it turns out he'll stay for another season, but I get it at the same time.
"Football does not wait around for anyone. City have to move on, and symbolically, De Bruyne is probably the best choice for that because his contract's up."
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De Bruyne exit from Man City "might be a necessary evil"
McInerney added: "I do feel that this might be a necessary evil really. As much as I love him, he just doesn't play as much anymore and I would be amazed if he plays a whole season next year without a serious injury and missing a whole bunch of games.
"I could be wrong, but it just doesn't feel a sensible bit of business to carry on and presume everything's okay because of a month of good football, because that's all it has been really this season if we're being honest."
McInerney has somewhat compared De Bruyne's mentality of wanting to play regularly at the highest possible level to Cristiano Ronaldo, but he feels that it is difficult for Man City to justify keeping hold of an ageing, injury-prone player on a contract worth around £400,000 a week when he may not play regularly.
"Kevin De Bruyne is, in my opinion, the greatest to ever do it and maybe even in the Premier League he's one of the greatest-ever footballers full stop - I really rate him that highly," said McInerney.
"I think when you're that high, look at [Cristiano] Ronaldo, maybe the greatest-ever striker - this is from a City fan - he doesn't accept (not playing regularly)... he's obviously a very confident, borderline arrogant man Cristiano Ronaldo. He refuses to believe that you can't do it anymore.
"That's a trait of the lot of the very best [have]. I don't think De Bruyne is quite as in his own head as [Ronaldo]. I think he's a lot more stubborn in a good way, he's more self-aware, but I definitely feel like he wants to play a lot more at this level.
"I think he'll probably accept it at some point, but I just don't think he sees it himself [yet] and I think that's where the disconnect is (with Man City).
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"There is no way he's going to be here for another two, three seasons, so we're arguing over another year or so... if we want a rebuild as football fans, £400,000 (a week in wages) is going to have to go. I know people would counter that [and say he will] take a reduced contract, I don't think he would. I'm not sure that's true.
"Maybe I'm wrong there, but I'd be amazed if he suddenly accepted £150,000 a week. I just don't see that personally... as much as he's brilliant, he's also got pride and I think players don't tend to just half their wages quite willingly. I think maybe that's what it'd take to stay, [but] I just don't think that was option the table."
McInerney continued: "Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions. Sometimes you have to pull the plaster off and it hurts a little bit, but on the plus side, at least we're seeing him go out like this now with big goals and big performances."
Could De Bruyne join another Premier League team?
De Bruyne has refused to rule out joining another Premier League team and Aston Villa have recently been linked with a surprise summer swoop, but McInerney cannot envisage any English club taking "a big old punt" on the Belgian.
"Aston Villa were briefly linked - I can't see that.... it'd be a massive disruption of their wage budget," said McInerney. "It would be a vanity signing to an extent - now that sounds really cruel - but it's not a logical signing given their current transfer policy, I think that's the better way to put it, because it is a big punt on an injury-prone player... and you're not going to get more than two years out of him at the very best.
"It'd be a big old punt, and I don't blame anyone for taking it, but I don't think football's trending that way at the moment. I think we're in an era where teams are trying to buy young and develop. Everyone's trying to sign people who can run and be reliable and who are powerful, and I just don't put those words right now with Kevin De Bruyne because of his age and so on.
"I look around the Premier League: Liverpool? No, they won't do it. Chelsea? That's not going to happen. Arsenal? No. Newcastle? No. I just don't see these as options. Personally, it just doesn't seem to make sense in terms of squad balance, wages expectations.
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"I think the MLS will probably be where De Bruyne ends up"
McInerney cannot see De Bruyne heading to the Saudi Pro League either and feels that a move to Major League Soccer could be on the cards amid reported interest from both Chicago Fire and Inter Miami.
"I don't get the impression he wants to move (to Saudi Arabia)," he added. "There are some players that don't mind the lifestyle in Saudi Arabia, some players that don't seem to be tempted by it. De Bruyne seems to be in that latter category.
"The money that they'd put in front of him could change his mind for a year. It could do, because they'd give him £1m a week easily, but if I had the bank balance of Kevin De Bruyne and I didn't want to live over there, I'd want to live in America.
"Chicago Fire are apparently interested. Chicago is a great city. I can imagine living as a millionaire football in Chicago would be a hell of a vibe, or playing for Inter Miami and playing alongside [Lionel] Messi and living that beach life... I think the MLS will probably be where he ends up."
McInerney has suggested that De Bruyne could be surprised by the lack of interest from top clubs in his services this summer, saying: "I could be wrong, but I think it might be a slight humbling for Kev when he looks at the interest or lack of what he's asking for.
"I can't see him [earning] £250,000, £300,000 a week in Serie A personally. I don't think that the finances are there for that right now for an older superstar so to speak.
"I think he might be surprised (by the lack of interest from clubs at the highest level)... the options on the table might be ones that people deem as the retirement options and that might be a shot across the bows to him unfortunately."
Press play on the video at the top of this article to hear the full discussion.
Oliver Thomas
