Former Chelsea midfielder Kevin De Bruyne announced he will be leaving Manchester City at the end of the 2024/25 season, after spending ten years at the club.
The 33-year-old will leave the league with the second-highest assists tally, totaling 118 in the Premier League, only Ryan Giggs having more with 162, and only one of those came during his time with the Blues.
Pep Guardiola has even stated “I will bet a lot of money that’s going to happen” when asked about a statue being built for the Belgian. The Spanish coach went on to explain “he deserves to be at this level”, being such a key cog in Manchester City’s success over the past decade.
But, of course, we all know Chelsea’s part to play in the emergence of De Bruyne in Europe’s top five leagues, with many regarding the sale of the Belgian as their biggest transfer mistake of all time.
Kevin De Bruyne's Man City legacy
Kevin De Bruyne was first brought to England by Chelsea, signing the Belgian for around £7m from Genk in 2012. He only made nine appearances for the Blues, providing one assist and totaling 426 minutes for the club, before leaving in 2014 to join Bundesliga side, Wolfsburg.
But just one year on, the Belgian superstar earned himself a £55m move to Manchester City, becoming their club’s record transfer, signing a six-year deal at 24 years old. From there, it was history. De Bruyne has made 413 appearances for the Cityzens, scoring 106 goals, providing 174 assists, and totaling 30,378 minutes played.
After winning six Premier League titles, one Champions League title, two FA Cups, and five League Cups (among plenty of individual awards), De Bruyne has decided to call time in the Premier League, which will leave the door open for the heir to his throne.
The heir to Kevin de Bruyne's throne
Manchester City will be kicking themselves because the heir to De Bruyne’s throne was there all along. Cole Palmer was signed by Chelsea back in 2023, joining the club for a fee of around £40m plus £2.5m in add-ons.
Since then, the 22-year-old has made 79 appearances for the Blues, netting 39 times, providing 23 assists, and totaling 6,409 minutes played.
Goals
0.44
0.29
Assists
0.22
0.33
xG
0.54
0.20
xAG
0.32
0.49
Progressive Carries
3.17
3.11
Progressive Passes
5.77
8.74
Shots Total
3.52
3.30
Key Passes
2.53
3.11
Passes into Pen Area
1.78
3.65
Shot-Creating Actions
5.48
5.99
You can see from comparing the pair’s underlying metrics that De Bruyne still stumps Palmer in most creative metrics, whilst the 22-year-old thrives more in front of goal. However, we are beginning to see glimpses of the creative hub Palmer could be with the top finisher around him, having created the most chances in the Premier League this season (73).
Palmer is now valued at €130.00m (£110.5m) according to Transfermarkt, a £68m increase in value from the £42.5m overall fee they paid for the England international back in 2023. The youngster has shone since arriving in London, with reporter Darren Lewis stating “he reminds younger fans of what it’s like to play in the playground”.
That sense of freedom he plays with, along with that air of confidence, is the perfect blend for Palmer to have moving forwards, who could be the one to take over from De Bruyne’s Premier League legacy, not only with his goals, but by adding that same creative prowess and assist numbers.
Therefore, Chelsea have hit the jackpot with the England star, who has emerged as a superstar for the Blues and is soaring in value month by month, and they will hope that he can go on to even have half the career that De Bruyne has had in this country.
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