Kevin De Bruyne in the dark over Club World Cup place as Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku claims captain can still compete with the elite

• Kevin De Bruyne scored Manchester City’s winner against Wolves on Friday 
• De Bruyn’s City contract will expire in the middle of the FIFA Club World Cup  
• LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Chris Sutton explains the harsh reality of being a manager: ‘I wasted a year of my life!’ 

By JACK GAUGHAN

Kevin De Bruyne admitted that his participation at the Club World Cup is unclear, with the Manchester City captain’s contract set to expire mid-tournament.

City are bidding farewell to the 33-year-old at the end of the season after deciding not to renew his £385,000-a-week deal as they embark on a rebuild.

New director of football Hugo Viana is looking at tying up moves for Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz and Morgan Gibbs-White at Nottingham Forest in the midfield area over the summer.

De Bruyne’s penultimate game at the Etihad Stadium finishing with him having scored the winner against Wolves but the Belgian doesn’t know if his stay will extend beyond the Premier League season.

‘I don’t know [about the Club World Cup],’ De Bruyne told TNT Sports Mexico. ‘For me, it will depend on whatever happens in the future, depending on what team I’ll go and what competition I’ll play.

‘And also if the new team doesn’t want me to play, doesn’t want to risk whatever happens.’

Kevin De Bruyne does not know if he will participate at the Club World Cup for Manchester City

De Bruyne (above with Pep Guardiola) has said he doesn’t want to leave City this summer

De Bruyne (above celebrating with Jeremy Doku) scored the winner against Wolves on Friday

De Bruyne’s contract takes in three group matches – against Wydad, Al Ain and Juventus – up until the start of July but doesn’t cover the knockout stages.

It would leave City with the peculiar scenario of waving off arguably their greatest ever modern-day player in the middle of a competition over in the United States.

‘I haven’t really spoken to City about it, so I don’t know,’ De Bruyne added. ‘If they want to have a conversation, we can. But I’m not sure about this.’

De Bruyne has consistently told of his sadness at leaving the Etihad Stadium since announcing the news last month and his team-mates believe their talisman can still do a job at the highest level.

Jeremy Doku, who assisted De Bruyne’s goal on Friday night and who features with him at international level, said: ‘Obviously it’s very sad and I do think he still has the qualities to play here and he showed it again.

‘It’s a pity he’s going to leave us but I still play with him in the national team so I can still get to enjoy that.

‘To see player of his calibre leave is sad and I can understand them. I can understand why they are [sad].

‘I have only been for two seasons but I have seen what kind of impact he’s had even before I came.

‘Kevin is one of the biggest legends in the history of this club. I just enjoy every moment I play with him and would say the supporters have to do the same.’

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Kevin De Bruyne in the dark over Club World Cup place as Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku claims captain can still compete with the elite

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