When a new team joins the league, they want to make a splash and it’s no different for San Diego FC who will become Major League Soccer’s 30th team when the 2025 season kicks off. According to GiveMeSport, San Diego would like to swing big for that signing and secure Manchester City’s attacking midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian also has interest from Saudi Arabia, but he could prefer a move to MLS if it were to materialize.
With players like Lionel Messi and Marco Reus already coming to MLS and others like Antoine Griezmann also being linked to moves to the league, it’s something that is more possible now than it may have been in years past. Even San Diego has already secured one marquee signing with Hirving Lozano set to join from PSV.
De Bruyne’s Manchester City contract expires at the end of the 2024-25 season which is where the door could be opened for MLS. There’s always the possibility that he extends his stay at City, but at 33 with his injury history and Phil Foden ready to pick up the keys to the attack, leaving could be possible for the right opportunity.
In 368 appearances for Manchester City in all competitions, De Bruyne has 103 goals and 171 assists so there would be no shortage of suitors for his services, even at the wrong side of 30, but the option of a new project being centered around him and life in America ahead of the 2026 World Cup are things that only San Diego can offer.
San Diego already has more international connections than average due to being part of the Right to Dream club network that also contains FC Nordsjaelland and FC Tut which helped increase negotiating powers. Behind owner and chairman Sir Mohamed Mansour, there’s also no shortage of funds to make a De Bruyne move to the club happen while still sticking within MLS roster constraints.
Moves for world class players like De Bruyne felt impossible previously, but as MLS’ stature and global appeal grows, these things become more plausible by the day. There would still be plenty of work needed to get the Belgian to the team but if it does happen, that would be quite the roster center piece for San Diego and head coach Mikey Varas to enter MLS play with.
