da dobrowin： The treble winners have been dealt a huge blow after losing the talismanic Belgian until the end of the year
da esoccer bet： Manchester City always knew they were going to have their work cut out to try and match the achievements of last season after winning the treble. And now they will be without arguably their most important player for a huge chunk of the campaign after it was revealed Kevin De Bruyne may need to undergo surgery to treat a serious hamstring injury.
De Bruyne contributed to a stonking 42 goals last season, scoring 10 times and providing 32 assists. And he delivered at pivotal moments, grabbing the first goal in the title decider against Arsenal, firing in a stunning equaliser from long-range against Real Madrid in the first leg of City's Champions League semi-final tie, and setting up Ilkay Gundogan's winner in the FA Cup final against Manchester United, to name just a few instances.
City still have a squad capable of winning the Premier League and going deep in cup competitions, but things will be far harder for them without De Bruyne, who had also worked up a productive partnership with Erling Haaland.
GOAL assesses who should fill his boots for the next four months…
Getty ImagesLucas Paqueta (West Ham)
City first declared their interest in Lucas Paqueta before De Bruyne suffered a relapse of his hamstring injury and now that the true extent of the injury has been revealed, they look even more likely to sign the Brazilian.
Paqueta does not have anything like the strike or assist rate of De Bruyne but in the last two seasons he has grown into an outstanding midfielder and has the self-belief to come in and take the Belgian's place in the City team.
His ability to thread passes through tight gaps make him a potential asset to Guardiola's side while the Catalan coach also admires his versatility. He will not come cheap, however. West Ham have rejected City's initial offer of £70 million ($89m) for Paqueta and are thought to be demanding as much as £90m ($120m).
AdvertisementGetty ImagesJulian Brandt (Borussia Dortmund)
City have done a lot of shopping at Borussia Dortmund lately, signing Erling Haaland, Manuel Akanji and Sergio Gomez from the Bundesliga side last summer. And Brandt would be a logical next target for them after spearheading the Black and Yellows' title bid, which fell agonisingly short on the final day of last season.
The Germany international can play behind the striker as a No.10 or on either side of the midfield three, and is hugely productive, scoring nine goals and providing eight assists last season.
Getty ImagesKhvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)
A year ago, very few football fans had even heard the name of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Flash forward to the present and the Georgian has turned into one of the most coveted players in the world after helping inspire Napoli to last year's Serie A title.
Kvaratskhelia, lovingly known as 'Kvaradona' in Naples, scored 12 goals and contributed 10 assists in 2022-23. The 22-year-old has breathtaking dribbling skills and is also a willing presser, winning the ball back in the final third 35 times last season.
City fans already have a lot of love for Georgian footballers after the success of Georgi Kinkladze in an otherwise dark period for the club, and they would undoubtedly welcome the country's latest star with open arms.
Getty ImagesFlorian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
Florian Wirtz has been causing a stir since he was a teenager. The German attacking midfielder became Bayer Leverkusen's youngest-ever player in 2020 at the age of 17 years and 16 days, and contributed to 27 goals in his first two full seasons in the Bundesliga.
A serious knee injury in 2022 derailed his progress, but he has come back stronger and reasserted himself in Xabi Alonso's side, getting four goals and eight assists since returning. Signing him this summer would see City skip the queue ahead of what is likely to be quite the fight in the summer of 2024, if Wirtz remains a Leverkusen player until then.