According to reports from Sky Sports yesterday afternoon, Wolfsburg have issued a hands-off warning to potential suitors of star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.
The Belgium international failed to make the first team grade during his two years at Chelsea, instead finding himself loaned out to Genk and Werder Bremen.
But he’s proved an absolute revelation since signing for Wolfsburg in an £18million deal during the January 2014 transfer window, finishing last season with 10 goals and 20 assists in 34 Bundesliga appearances.
Manchester City are particularly keen on a summer deal for the 23 year-old as they seek to revitalise an ageing squad, but Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester United were also mooted as potential suitors last month.
De Bruyne’s agent has admitted to ‘informal contact‘ from Manuel Pellegrini’s side, as well as Bayern Munich and PSG.
Regardless, however, Die Wolfe are determined to hold onto their talismanic midfielder this summer. They’ve been preparing a £100k per-week contract offer for some time and the club’s Director of Sport Klaus Allofs – who recently claimed he ‘wouldn’t even flinch’ at a £35million bid for De Bruyne – has now issued the ever-cliched hands-off warning.
“Kevin has a contract until 2019, so the signal has already been sent out. He will stay with us. We’ve said we will look at his contract,” said Allofs.
“The aim is to take into account financially Kevin’s extraordinary development and I think we will reach an agreement here very quickly,” he added.