Manchester City will 'consider' former Sheffield United star as replacement for outgoing Kevin De Bruyne
Manchester City are reportedly set to consider a former Sheffield United star as a replacement for outgoing playmaker Kevin De Bruyne.
After a decade of service to the Premier League giants, De Bruyne will seek pastures new upon the expiry of his contract in the summer.
He has cemented his status as one of the most gifted players to have graced England’s top flight and will leave the Etihad Stadium with six Premier League titles on his CV.
Filling his boots will be no mean feet but if Manchester City are to emerge as title challengers next season, someone will need to step up.
According to The Athletic, Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White is under consideration as an heir.
The reigning Premier League champions were linked with the playmaker back in September and Gibbs-White has also been reported as a target for the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle United in the past.
A familiar face in South Yorkshire, the 25-year-old spent the 2021/22 season on loan at Sheffield United from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
He completed a permanent move to Forest in the summer of 2022 and has gone from strength to strength at the City Ground.
This season, he has registered five goals and nine assists in the Premier League. He has also broken into the England senior squad after starring for the Three Lions at various youth levels.
Also believed to be under consideration is Florian Wirtz, a talismanic figure for Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.
However, it remains to be seen whether Manchester City choose to sign a like-for-like replacement or challenge an existing player to plug the gap.
Phil Foden is a playmaker by trade and has been tipped as the long-term successor to De Bruyne for years.
The England international is undeniably a huge talent, but has struggled for form of late.