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De Bruyne to MLS? Inter Miami Hold Discovery Rights

by American Dad
Kevin De Bruyne to MLS

Everyone knows that Kevin De Bruyne is leaving Manchester City at the end of his contract in June, but no one knows what he has planned afterward.

One thing we know for sure is that he is not retiring, so the obvious question on everyone’s lips is: where will Kevin De Bruyne go next?

He has become the topic of much speculation, and excitingly for American soccer, MLS seems like one of the most likely destinations for him. Major League Soccer has always attracted big name stars at the tail end of their careers. They can go to America and elongate their careers by competing at a slightly lower level.

That’s no disrespect to MLS, but it stands to reason that a player moving from the number 1 ranked league in the world to the league in tenth is going to find life a little easier.

He has already been linked with a number of Major League clubs, and apparently wants to be in the Belgian World Cup squad for 2026 which will be partly held in the USA, but there is another destination that could turn his head.

Inter Miami or San Diego?

Back in 2024, San Diego FC were heavily linked with the Man City captain. It was reported that talks had been held between both parties, and San Diego held the discovery rights giving them first dibs on contract negotiations.

The rumours were fuelled by the fact that De Bruyne often holidays in California and loves the area, but Tyler Heaps, sporting director at San Diego FC, told the media:

“that salary doesn’t fit into our current budget in terms of his expectations”

So reports of advanced talks seem to have been overblown, but whatever the truth, the club have taken De Bruyne off their discovery rights list now. If the new rumours are to be believed, Inter Miami are next in line.

Miami have money, as we know from their current crop of players, and the club would be an attractive proposition for a player like De Bruyne. But would he fit in alongside Messi or are they too similar?

De Bruyne has said in the past he would choose to play with Ronaldo over Messi as Ronaldo is more of a striker, while he is a playmaker. But then, Messi will be 38 in June, and how much longer is he realistically going to be around?

Salary Could be an Issue

money

I could all come down to money.

The Belgian midfielder is reportedly on around £20 million a year at Man City, and you can count the number of MLS clubs that could afford a wage bill like that on about 3 fingers. What’s more, with Inter Miami already paying through the nose for Messi as well as having a few other big name stars as designated players, finding the money and space for De Bruyne could be challenging.

That said, De Bruyne will be 34 if and when any MLS move takes place, and traditionally, players accept that their wages will decrease as they pass their best.

However, the Saudi Pro League is famous for offering record breaking salaries to players who once ruled the world, and despite no longer being at their peak, the standard in Saudi Arabia is lower so these athletes can still dominate. If money is his main motivator, De Bruyne could snub MLS for a team in the Middle East.

He doesn’t strike me as that type of guy, though. MLS is a much more competitive league, and it commands more respect from the world of football in general. He may not be able to make quite as much cash in America, but De Bruyne would safeguard his reputation if he moved West.

Plus, MLS regulations have plenty of ways for clubs to get around the designated player and salary cap rules. General allocation money and target allocation money are an option, and clubs can offer other incentives, too, such as branding deals, to make moves more profitable for the players. Plus, all their current designated players are on short contracts that end around the time De Bruyne becomes available.

In my opinion, if Kevin De Bruyne is interested, Miami will find a way to get the deal done. Oh, and De Bruyne’s wife recently followed Messi’s wife on Instagram, too, which is about as solid a sign as you are likely to get!