adminMANCHESTER CITY have made a second bid for Wolfsburg’s Kevin De Bruyne worth £47m to make the forward the fifth addition of the summer. The offer is an initial £40m plus around £7m of add-ons for the 24-year-old. Klaus Allofs, the Wolfsburg sporting director, continues to claim the German club will fight to keep the Belgian. But this is viewed as merely a bargaining stance.
“I think some other clubs have definitely turned Kevin’s head,” Allofs told Kicker magazine. “Some huge figures are doing the rounds and I can understand why Kevin is leaving everything open.
“He’s got to listen to the offers. I can’t expect from him that he doesn’t even want to entertain them. If he was only contracted to us until 2017, then yes, it would be different. But let’s be honest about it – it’s highly unlikely that he’ll stay with us right up until 2019.”
Wolfsburg are refusing to put a precise valuation on De Bruyne. While the club may try and prise a higher fee for him it is understood City’s offer is close to being acceptable.
When contacted the De Bruyne camp refused to deny that City had made the offer for the forward. Executives at the Etihad Stadium are confident of landing the former Chelsea player with De Bruyne keen to join City and play in the Premier League again.
While it is thought the club had a first bid of £35m turned down a few days ago, if the £47m offer is accepted by Wolfsburg it would take City’s total spend to £117m in the current window.
The acquisition of De Bruyne would end City’s activity in the market unless an exceptional footballer became available for consideration. — The Guardian
Online Reporter