It could be sensed through every statement made by Pep Guardiola, and now it has become clear - Kevin de Bruyne is leaving Manchester City at the end of the season.
The Belgian ace, a serial champion in the "citizens" jersey, confirmed that he is playing his last games for the current English champions.
"These are my last months at City. We all know that moments like these have to come, but you're never really 100 percent ready for them. I'm leaving and the public deserves to hear it from me," 33-year-old De Bruyne wrote on social media.
De Bruyne arrived at City in 2015 from Wolfsburg and became one of the best midfielders in the world.
With the "citizens" he won 16 trophies - he was European champion, he has six English championship titles, FA cups and League Cup...
There has long been speculation that he could continue his career in Saudi Arabia.
"Every story has an ending, but this was definitely the best chapter. City changed my life and the life of my family - they gave me everything and I had no choice but to give back as much as I could. We did it together, we won everything," added De Bruyne.
He played 413 games for the Etihad club and scored 106 goals, but this season, due to injuries and poor form, he was a starter only 19 times.
He started his career in Genk, then played for Chelsea and Verde (on loan from the London club), and then earned a call-up from Manchester in the summer of 2015 after playing for Wolfsburg.
A year later, Guardiola arrived at the club and Manchester City's great era began.
This season marked the end of that era, as City is far from winning major trophies (they have a chance to win it in the FA Cup), and qualifying for the Champions League next season is also under serious question.
"Kevin's ability in the final third, those goals and assists, is impossible to replace. He has done great things over the years and has contributed to every trophy City has won. The doors of this club are forever open to him because the impact De Bruyne has had over the years is much greater than what we have seen on the pitch," said Pep Guardiola.
De Bruyne in the Premier League:
Since 2015, when he arrived at City, De Bruyne has registered the most assists in the Premier League (117), created the most chances (827), and also the most big chances (193);
Only Ryan Giggs (162) has more assists in Premier League history than De Bruyne;
He was voted the best player in the Premier League twice - in 2020 and 2022.
Bonus video:
