Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has paid the ultimate compliment to departing midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, labelling the Belgian playmaker the “second-best” passer he has ever worked with. Guardiola placed De Bruyne in esteemed company, ranking him only behind Argentine maestro Lionel Messi.
Guardiola’s high praise positions De Bruyne ahead of legendary midfielders Guardiola has coached throughout his illustrious career, including Barcelona icons Andres Iniesta and Xavi, as well as former City teammate David Silva.
De Bruyne’s tenure at the Etihad Stadium is drawing to a close, with the midfielder announcing last month that he will leave City after 10 years when his contract expires at the end of the current season. His final home appearance is scheduled for Tuesday night against Bournemouth.
Reflecting on De Bruyne’s impact, Guardiola initially pondered his top three passers before firmly placing the Belgian second only to Messi. “One is Messi,” Guardiola stated. “And the other two, let me think about it… OK, let me put Kevin second.”
Guardiola elaborated on his reasoning, highlighting Messi’s ability to execute passes effectively “really, really close to the box.” However, he stressed that De Bruyne is “there” in terms of quality, pointing to his “stats, the goals, the assists, that he provides to the team in the final third and the talent.” Guardiola described De Bruyne’s talent as “unique,” asserting that this makes him “one of the best players this club has had in the whole history.” He acknowledged these were “big, big words,” emphasizing De Bruyne’s status as a “special player.”
De Bruyne’s Passing Stats Under Pep
The statistics from De Bruyne’s time under Guardiola underscore his exceptional creative output. Over 258 Premier League games with Guardiola at the helm, De Bruyne averaged 0.5 assists and created 3.6 chances per 90 minutes. Notably, De Bruyne rates higher than Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, and Silva in both of these crucial creative metrics when compared during their respective spells under Guardiola or at their peak.
While his passing accuracy of 82.4% is the lowest among this elite group, this can likely be attributed to De Bruyne’s tendency to attempt riskier, defence-splitting passes in the final third, aimed at unlocking opposition defences rather than simply retaining possession.
A Decade of Dominance and a Fond Farewell
Since joining from Bundesliga club Wolfsburg in 2015, De Bruyne has been integral to Manchester City’s unprecedented success. He has amassed an impressive 16 trophies during his decade at the club, including six Premier League titles and the historic Champions League triumph in 2023.
As his time at City concludes, Guardiola acknowledged the difficulty of finding a replacement for a player of De Bruyne’s calibre, stating it would be “really, really difficult for many reasons.” However, he added that the club “have to move forward.” City are reportedly seeking a new creative midfielder, with Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White mentioned as a potential option, following reports they have withdrawn interest in Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz.
De Bruyne is set to receive a heartfelt farewell from the club and fans following his final home game against Bournemouth. Guardiola confirmed that De Bruyne “will get what he deserves” for his “incredible trajectory” and significant contributions to the club’s rise since Sheikh Mansour’s takeover.
The planned tribute includes a guard of honour from his teammates and coaches at full-time. De Bruyne will also give a short speech on the pitch, be presented with gifts by the wife and son of late City legend Colin Bell, and participate in a lap of appreciation with the squad.
While City’s season concludes with an away trip to Fulham, the Bournemouth fixture is expected to be De Bruyne’s final appearance at the Etihad Stadium. He has also indicated he is unlikely to feature in the Club World Cup in the USA this summer, potentially due to injury concerns that could impact his search for a new club. Kevin de Bruyne’s departure marks the end of an era for Manchester City, leaving behind a legacy cemented by Guardiola’s extraordinary praise.
References
- https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cj6r8d4d94ro
- https://sports.yahoo.com/article/bruyne-man-city-farewell-last-160011513.html
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cj6r8d4d94ro
- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-14729291/Pep-Guardiola-labels-Kevin-Bruyne-second-best-passer-worked-Barcelona-legend.html
