De Bruyne Won't Be Leaving Man City Says Guardiola

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne - AFP
Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne - AFP
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De Bruyne Won't Be Leaving Man City Says Guardiola

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne - AFP
Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne - AFP

Pep Guardiola insists Kevin De Bruyne will not leave Manchester City this season.

De Bruyne has just one year left on his current City contract and the midfielder revealed recently he has spoken with his wife Michele about his future plans.

"For Michele an exotic adventure is OK," De Bruyne said in a hint that he could end his successful spell at Premier League champions City.

UK press reports on Tuesday said City manager Guardiola had rejected any thought of the 33-year-old being allowed to walk away this season.

Speaking ahead of Manchester City's friendly against Celtic in North Carolina, Guardiola told reporters "Kevin isn't leaving".

De Bruyne returned after missing the first half of last season due to injury and helped City make history with a fourth successive Premier League title, AFP reported.

He has been with City since joining from Wolfsburg in 2015, winning 15 major trophies including six Premier League titles and one Champions League crown.

While Guardiola is adamant, his influential playmaker will stay at the Etihad Stadium this term, it remains to be seen if he can persuade the Belgian to remain in Manchester longer than that

"My eldest (child) is now eight years old and knows nothing but England. He also asks how long I will play at City. Once the time comes, we will have to deal with it in a certain way," De Bruyne said in a recent interview.

"At my age, you have to be open to everything. You talk about unbelievable amounts in what may be the end of my career. Sometimes you have to think about that.

"If I play there for two years, I will be able to earn an incredible amount of money."

Meanwhile, Guardiola claimed City would not make major changes to his squad before their Premier League season kicks off against Chelsea on August 18.



Paris Olympics: What to Know and Who to Watch during the Men's Soccer Competition

A roadmap to follow for men's soccer during the Paris Olympics (The AP)
A roadmap to follow for men's soccer during the Paris Olympics (The AP)
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Paris Olympics: What to Know and Who to Watch during the Men's Soccer Competition

A roadmap to follow for men's soccer during the Paris Olympics (The AP)
A roadmap to follow for men's soccer during the Paris Olympics (The AP)

A roadmap to follow for men's soccer during the Paris Olympics, according to The AP.

Athletes to Watch —Michael Olise, France: After scoring 10 goals for Crystal Palace in the Premier League last season, the thrilling forward was signed by German giant Bayern Munich. Born in London, he chose to represent France and is likely to become an important part of the senior team if he impresses at Bayern.

—Kevin Paredes, United States: USA's young player of the year in 2023 is gaining attention and has joined the likes of Vinicius Junior and Kevin De Bruyne by signing with Jay-Z's Roc Nation sports agency. Capable of playing at left back or as a winger, the Wolfsburg player already has broken through to the United States' senior national team.

—Claudio Echeverri, Argentina: The 18-year-old Echeverri's potential already has been spotted by Manchester City, and he will complete a move to the Premier League team ahead of next season. An attacking midfielder, he helped Argentina reach the semifinals of the U17 World Cup and could be one of the star players at the Olympics.

Storylines to Follow —The US men's national team is back at the Games for the first time since 2008. The Americans benefited from soccer's regional governing body CONCACAF deciding to make the 2022 edition of its Under-20 Championship a qualifying event for the Olympics. The US won it for a third time in a row to book its place for Paris. It faces host nation France in its opening game of the tournament.

—Israel has waited even longer to make a return to the Games, having been absent since 1976. While that is a cause for celebration for the national team, there already have been calls from protestors in France for Israel’s participation to be limited because of the war in Gaza.

—World champion Argentina can add to a glorious era of success by winning gold in Paris. Argentina won the 2021 Copa America and then won the World Cup a year later in Qatar. It successfully defended the Copa America in the United States before the Games and Olympic gold would complete the set over a spectacular three-year period.

—The Olympics has produced unlikely gold medalists in men's soccer such as Nigeria and Cameroon. Will there be another surprise package in Paris? Perhaps Morocco, which finished a surprising fourth at the 2022 World Cup, will go on another run.

Key Dates The tournament begins on July 24, with France taking on the United States and Argentina facing Morocco in the biggest games of the day. The final is on Aug. 9 at Parc des Princes in Paris.

Reigning Champion Brazil (Did not qualify).