Over recent years, as Manchester City have dominated the Premier League, Kevin De Bruyne has gone from strength to strength. He has quickly risen to the top, becoming not only one of the best players in the top flight of English football but all of Europe.
His journey has been a curious one, after he failed to make it at Chelsea, before really making a name for himself in Germany at Wolfsburg. Since he joined the Cityzens in 2015 for a then-club record of £55m, he has become an all-time great of the eight-time Premier League winners.
Kevin de Bruyne’s Manchester City record
When looking at the Belgium international’s record at the Etihad Stadium so far, he is a cut above the rest when it comes to pure goals and assist numbers. The former Chelsea man has played 386 games for the Cityzens, scoring 103 goals and registering a whopping 171 assists.
When comparing those numbers to his peers, his quality shines through. According to Transfermarkt, no player in the history of Man City has more assists than him, with David Silva in second, 41 behind the Belgian’s 171.
Player
Games
Assists
Kevin De Bruyne
368
171
David Silva
436
130
Raheem Sterling
339
73
Bernardo Silva
359
68
Sergio Aguero
390
65
Riyad Mahrez
236
56
Phil Foden
271
53
Not only that, but the attacking midfielder is sixth on their all-time top goalscorers list. His century of goals makes him one of only six to achieve such a feat, a list that includes former teammates Sergio Aguero, who sits top of the pile, and Raheem Sterling.
33-year-old midfielder De Bruyne might be on the decline compared to previous seasons, but that does not mean that he was underperforming last campaign. The Man City number 17 played 26 times in all competitions in 2023/24, with injuries hampering his season. However, he still notched up six goals and 18 assists, with 14 of those 24 goal involvement coming in just 18 Premier League appearances.
Not only does the midfielder have stats to show just how good he has been at the Etihad Stadium, but trophies, too. Among others, he has won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League once, part of that famous treble in 2022/23.
De Bruyne is arguably City’s greatest-ever player, but the time may come soon when they need a replacement for him. Frustratingly, that man may have been in their academy before they sold him a few years ago.
Where is Felix Nmecha now?
The player in question here is Borussia Dortmund and Germany midfielder Felix Nmecha. The 23-year-old came through City’s esteemed academy but departed the club in 2021 after struggling to break into the side.
Interestingly, he also moved to Wolfsburg, just as De Bruyne did after leaving Chelsea, after being released on a free transfer by the Premier League giants.
Now, the German international, who has one cap for his country, plies his trade for Borussia Dortmund and impressed there last season. He has played 32 times for the German giants, scoring and assisting two goals apiece.
He was compared to City’s legendary number 17 by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who also noted his strengths include vision and creativity, much like the Belgian stalwart has shown over the years for the Cityzens.
The 23-year-old made three appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side before he departed for Germany in 2021. Although he played just 73 minutes of first-team football for the Premier League champions, he did manage to register an assist, in the Champions League against Olympiakos, with a simple pass to Joao Cancelo.
Football scout Antonio Mango described the 23-year-old as a “terrific talent”, and perhaps City might well regret letting the youngster leave rather than give him first-team chances or merely loan him out.
With De Bruyne linked with a move away over the 2024 summer transfer window, there is every chance he could depart next summer instead. Whilst they will now need to go and sign a replacement for the legendary midfielder, they may have had the ideal answer at home, in the form of Nmecha.
At the age of 23, he still has plenty of time to develop and shine, as de Bruyne did after initially struggling at Chelsea in his younger days, and City may hope that he does not continue to grow into a player they will regret having released.
