Pep Guardiola calls on Kevin De Bruyne to be ‘honest with himself’ as Man City midfielder mulls his future ahead of his contract expiry

Pep Guardiola says Kevin De Bruyne must be ‘honest with himself’ when Manchester City’s talisman determines his future over the coming months.

City’s boss confirmed Mail Sport’s story that De Bruyne – out of contract at the end of the season – will be afforded the opportunity to decide his next move after a decade at the club.

Although arguably the club’s greatest ever player, the 33-year-old was on the bench in defeat at Arsenal and didn’t play a minute at Real Madrid last week. His performance as City lost against Liverpool on Sunday drew criticism and suggestions that his body could not cope with the Premier League’s demands.

‘I think in that situation he has to decide, that is the most important thing,’ Guardiola said. ‘He’s completely honest with himself, to decide what he feels and what he can do in the next period of his life. He’s 34 in the summer and he has to decide, like what happened with David Silva for example.’

Silva opted to leave for Real Sociedad when his contract expired in 2020, while Vincent Kompany took charge of his own exit 12 months earlier. The likes of Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure were not extended the same luxury.

Guardiola also reiterated that he will require a larger squad next season having gone into this campaign with 20 outfield players. City have found the consistent battle with injuries difficult to cope with and John Stones will be ruled out for 10 weeks with a thigh problem. Stones does not need surgery on the issue but is likely to be out until May.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has called upon the midfielder to ‘be honest’ about his future prospects

Oscar Bobb, the promising right winger, is expected to return soon after a setback from a broken leg in which he turned his ankle in training.

‘When we saw him in pre-season everyone was so excited,’ Guardiola said. ‘He creates in small spaces, in terms of intensity. It is difficult to find.’