Kevin de Bruyne left Manchester City and was not satisfied with that, but one of the greatest midfielders of the Premier League era is just the latest player, discovering football is a ruthless business with nothing yesterday. Trent Alexander-Arnold shows that by rejecting a proposal to reject a lucrative new contract from Liverpool, he has joined his club at six-year-old free agent, but as a free agent, the 26-year-old may choose to be in Anfield or in an increasingly likely new expedition.

But, for De Bruen, it's a different story.

Belgium International helped Manchester City win six Premier League titles, one Champions League, two FA Cups and five EFL Cups during his time at the club, and has scored 108 goals and 177 assists in 418 appearances since its arrival in the summer of 2015. However, he reached 34 at the end of June and City has decided that his future is as impressive as his past.

"Obviously, I'm a little surprised, but I just need to accept it," De Bruin said last month when he announced that he would leave the city when it expires this summer. “I didn’t have any offer for a year, they just made the decision.”

Although it is arguably the hierarchy of the club since City made a £55m transfer from VFL Wolfsburg - including the class of football Txiki Begiristain, CEO Ferran Soriano and manager Pep Guardiola, his time has come and he has no choice now, but he has no choice now.

"A lot of teammates say I have to leave, but that's what life is going on," De Bruyne said after winning the only goal of the match in a 1-0 Premier League victory against Wolves last Friday at Manchester City's 1-0 Premier League against Wolves. "I don't know what the future will be like.

“Honestly, I still think I can perform at this level as I have shown, but I know the club has to make a decision.”

Players speak like de Bruyne is about the voice of the people he was rejected by New York City, especially from such a high-profile figure. When Chelsea was released by Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole at the end of their 2014 contract, both left Stamford Bridge with a positive attitude and accepted the timing of the move. John Terry expressed a similar view when he left Chelsea three years later. By contrast, Miami reportedly reportedly waived their right to discovery, associated with the move to Major League Baseball relocation of the Chicago Fire, who apparently felt that he hadn't completed his business as a city player and the chance to complete it had been taken away from him.

However, few clubs have mastered the art of timing great players and city exit. David Silva (going to the real society), Vincent Kopany (player manager of Anderlecht) and Sergio Aguero (Barcelona) all left Etihad, and after their contract expired, no one was almost a match, let alone a feat elsewhere in the city.

De Bruyne may argue that his performance in recent weeks shows that he still has a lot to give, but clubs like City decide based on contracts that players can do over a 12-24-month period, they can do it with evidence from training performances, fitness stats and injury recovery times and what happened to the first team. De Bruyne's recent track record will bring alarm bells to city recruitment, as his number suggests his decline has begun as players approach the mid-30s.

Since defeating Inter European in the June 2023 Champions League final with a hamstring injury, De Bruyne has won 40 possible 109 games in New York City, with 34 of them resulting from hamstring problems. He has only started 17 of Manchester City's 35 Premier League matches this season, replacing eight of them. De Bruyne started five straight times as the longest uninterrupted sequence in the Premier League and had four goals, with the lowest return since scoring two points in the 2018-19 season.

Although De Bruyne has been a big-time player in the past for Manchester City and Champions League heavyweights, this season's goal is against Ipswich, Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, Wolves, Leiden East and Plymouth.

When asked about the decision to release De Bruen, referring to his past achievements and contributions, Guardiola has been diplomatic, saying it was "almost impossible" to replace him. "He has always been an incredible player, but that's exactly what the situation is," Guardiola said after winning a goal against Wolves last week.

Guardiola's last comment could cut bones: "That's the case."

Even the best must keep moving forward when the player achieves his purpose and signs of decline spread. De Bruyne is hurting now, but he just needs to look at his numbers to realize that the city is not wrong.