Kevin De Bruyne aims dig at Man City after contract snub

After producing a match-winning display against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday night, Kevin De Bruyne took another side-swipe at the Manchester City hierarchy which deemed him unworthy of a new contract.

De Bruyne publicly confirmed that this would be his last season at City at the start of April. The increasingly injury-prone 33-year-old has since revealed he wanted to stay at the Etihad, with the decision to part ways coming from manager Pep Guardiola and sporting director Txiki Begiristain.

Since the news of De Bruyne's departure was announced, he has scored two goals and created another across five matches, including the only strike in a narrow 1-0 victory over Wolves on Friday night. "I showed I can still play here [in the Premier League] otherwise I don't do what I have done in these last four or five weeks," De Bruyne pointedly noted after his penultimate home match in a City shirt.

There is no shortage of interest in the soon-to-be free agent. MLS franchise Chicago Fire are billed as the favourites to snap him up, but De Bruyne has insisted that he would consider joining another Premier League club.

When De Bruyne's curt comments were put to Guardiola on Friday evening, he sympathised with the current squad's longest-serving player. "I'm sure it's not easy for him but his contribution has been massive, important," the Catalan coach acknowledged. "He doesn't have to prove anything, I know his quality and his level. That's all."

"He has been an incredible player but the situation is what it is," Guardiola continued. "It's almost impossible to replace this kind of player. It is not just the performance, it is what he means to the heart for our fans for many, many years. The success we have belongs to the players."

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