Real Madrid might be interested in signing Kevin de Bruyne from Manchester City. Reports suggest De Bruyne is Madrid’s next Galactico transfer target. But is there any truth to these rumors?
Yesterday, I reported on news that Manchester United might be interested in signing Toni Kroos this summer. Today, Real Madrid are linked to transfer business in Manchester again, but this time it’s an incoming transfer from the Blue side of the city.
Portuguese outlet Don Balon, a notoriously unreliable source for transfer news, mentioned that Madrid might be interested in signing Kevin de Brunye. This story has gotten picked up far and wide, with multiple sources repeating the claim. Sky Sports suggest that De Bruyne could be set for a Madrid transfer while Gareth Bale could be set to leave for Juventus. Goal.com report that Real Madrid will look to smash their transfer record with a €200 million bid for de Bruyne’s services. The Hard Tackle indicate that the move could be dependent upon Manchester City’s ultimate performance in the Champions League this season.
This isn’t the first time De Bruyne has been linked with Madrid. Before the winter transfer window, The Express reported that Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane held talks with club President Florentino Perez about acquiring De Bruyne’s signature.
It wouldn’t be beyond the pale for Perez to be interested in De Bruyne. The Belgian is widely recognized as one of, if not the, best player in the Premier League this season. And given Madrid’s troubles this season, I wouldn’t be surprised if Perez doesn’t look to make a big Galactico signing or two this summer. De Bruyne certainly fits that bill.
I wouldn’t hold my breath, though. Across all media, there doesn’t seem to be any source citing this transfer other than Don Balon, and I never take anything that outlet says too seriously.
There are also serious questions about where De Bruyne would fit into the team. Madrid already have an attacking roster stacked with talented midfielders. If James Rodriguez ultimately had to go elsewhere to find reliable minutes, could De Bruyne run into similar problems at Madrid? Or, alternatively, would De Bruyne’s minutes trade off with those of Asensio and Isco?
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The biggest determinant of whether we see De Bruyne in white next season may actually be his performance this summer at the World Cup. Perez loves to buy players who perform well on the international stage, and De Bruyne’s Belgium could be set for a big run.