Former Tottenham Hotspur forward Garth Crooks believes Pep Guardiola will soon have job on his hands to convince Kevin De Bruyne to continue at Manchester City as Real Madrid and Barcelona will soon come calling for him.
De Bruyne has been turned into a central midfielder by Guardiola this season and his vision and passing range have played a huge role in making Manchester City one of the most attractive teams to watch in Europe.
The 26-year-old also has three goals and nine assists to his name and Crooks believes the Belgian is gradually becoming one of the best players in the world at the moment.
The former forward also believes Guardiola has to somehow convince De Bruyne to stay put at the Etihad as Real Madrid and Barcelona will soon be on his tail because of his consistent performances.
But Crooks also feels Manchester City are one of the few clubs in Europe at the moment who could shun a big transfer offer from one of the two big Spanish clubs.
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Crooks said on the BBC’s Final Score programme: “Guardiola needs to do that [tell De Bruyne he is alongside [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo] because make no mistake, Real Madrid and Barcelona will be looking at that player, how they can get him.
“Pep Guardiola has got to convince him why he stays at Manchester City and the plan and the strategy to win the Champions League.”
He continued: “For me, De Bruyne is doing what [Luka] Modric did at Spurs and has done at Real Madrid in the last few years.
“And that crew at Real Madrid are coming to the end, and Man City are one of the few clubs that can resist [a big offer].”
