Manchester City will lose one of its all-time greats when Kevin De Bruyne departs at the end of the season, 10 years on from his return to England.

De Bruyne will exit as a six-time English champion and a Champions League winner, having also clinched seven domestic cups during his time with the Etihad Stadium club.

The Belgian has struggled with injuries over the last couple of seasons, but at his best, he was arguably the league's best player, and Virgil van Dijk previously said he believes the Reds would have achieved a lot more had they had De Bruyne in the team.

"Someone that I’ve never played with before but would love at Liverpool is Kevin De Bruyne," Van Dijk said in 2022.

Kevin De Bruyne to Liverpool transfer link as 'most realistic' Premier League move emerges	Kevin De Bruyne makes feelings clear on Virgil van Dijk's new Liverpool contract	Liverpool urged to take Kevin de Bruyne 'gamble' and sign Man City star

Interestingly, De Bruyne actually grew up as a Liverpool supporter, so the prospect of him playing for the Reds wasn't as far-fetched as it might seem.

That is perhaps down to the fact that, when De Bruyne returned to England as one of the most exciting midfielders in the world in 2015, Liverpool was coming off the back of a season in which it finished sixth under Brendan Rodgers.

The club didn't have the pulling power for a player of De Bruyne's caliber at the time.

Curiously, Liverpool is now being linked with a move for De Bruyne on a free transfer this summer, and the 33-year-old himself is not ruling out the possibility of him staying in the Premier League.

.

De Bruyne competes with Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister earlier this season.

We will see."

A report by De Standaard said that, earlier in the season, De Bruyne had actually believed that he would ultimately extend his contract with City, but the team's drop in form changed things
For more news relating to Manchester City, visit our sister site City Latest Live.