Major League Soccer (MLS) side Chicago Fire have approached Manchester City captain Kevin De Bruyne to sign him on a free transfer this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The MLS outfit launched a serious attempt to land the Belgian playmaker with a detailed project to entice the 33-year-old to the United States.
He could join the ranks of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Xherdan Shaqiri, who left Europe for the Chicago outfit.
De Bruyne announced he will leave City at the end of the season after a decade of dominance. He is now weighing up his options in the coming days and weeks.
While Chicago Fire are pushing hard, Inter Miami still retain the discovery rights to De Bruyne – an MLS rule that gives them the right of first refusal if he chooses to move Stateside.
San Diego FC reportedly passed on those rights, claiming he does not align with their club identity.
Inter Miami, co-owned by David Beckham, made global headlines by signing Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez. The potential addition of De Bruyne to the league would further cement MLS’s growing global appeal.
De Bruyne leaves Manchester City as a club legend, having won 16 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the 2023 Champions League. He joined the club from Wolfsburg in 2015 after an earlier stint at Chelsea.
With his departure confirmed, City are already planning for life without their midfield maestro. Phil Foden is expected to take on more creative duties, but the club is also eyeing external replacements.
Nottingham Forest attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White and Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Florian Wirtz have emerged as key targets. The reigning Premier League champions have not settled on a candidate.
For now, all eyes are on the MLS, where Chicago Fire’s move for De Bruyne could spark a bidding war for one of football’s most influential midfielders of the modern era.
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