Chicago Fire leading MLS race to sign Man City star De Bruyne: Reports

New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) Chicago Fire FC are in active discussions with Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne over a designated player deal with the club, emerging as the frontrunner to sign the Belgian playmaker should he choose to move to Major League Soccer.

De Bruyne, 33, recently announced his decision to leave Manchester City at the end of the season upon the expiration of his contract. He has been a key figure at the club since joining in 2015, helping them secure four consecutive Premier League titles.

Although Inter Miami CF currently holds De Bruyne’s MLS discovery rights - a rule that gives them the right of first refusal - they are unlikely to pursue him due to having already filled all three of their designated player slots with Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Lionel Messi, all of whom are out of contract at season’s end. This development has cleared a potential path for Chicago.

New York City FC and D.C. United have also reportedly expressed interest, but Chicago, with only two designated players on its roster and ambitious ownership in Joe Mansueto, appears to be an ideal landing spot should De Bruyne decide to play in MLS, ESPN reported.

The Athletic was first to report that the Chicago Fire are the frontrunners to sign De Bruyne.

De Bruyne could also remain in Europe. Asked after the win over Crystal Palace on April 12 about his next move, he left the door open.

"Whatever project is available, I'm willing to listen. I love football. I love to play football and if a nice project comes and my family is good with that, then we are able to make a decision," De Bruyne said.

Chicago head coach Gregg Berhalter, while not naming De Bruyne specifically, hinted at the club’s need for a creative attacking player to complement current forwards Hugo Cuypers and Jonathan Bamba.

"I think that in a perfect world, you'd be able to invest across the entire roster and say, 'OK, we can bring in world-class players in every position,' but it's not perfect," the former USMNT coach said.

"There's a salary cap, there's a limited amount of designated players. So I think the most sense is to bring in an attacking player.

"Someone that can change the game consistently from an attacking end and can work with the offensive weapons we already have to bring out more in them and help them continue and overall help the team both on and off the field."

--IANS

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