The news broke late last week that Manchester City’s legendary midfielder Kevin De Bruyne would be leaving the club at the end of the season. The Belgian’s contract will expire at the end of June, and he will depart the Etihad Stadium in search of pastures anew.
His record for City is extraordinary. In 414 games for the club, he has scored 106 goals and grabbed 176 assists. His trophy cabinet speaks for itself. During his time at the Etihad, so far, De Bruyne has won 19 titles, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League once, part of the iconic treble season in 2022/23.
With the confirmation that De Bruyne will leave City at the end of the season, the search must now begin for his replacement. In fact, they may already have someone lined up.
Man City's search for a De Bruyne replacement
Replacing an all-time great like De Bruyne is never going to be easy. However, City might have found their answer in the Bundesliga, the same league from which they bought the Belgian. That player is Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Hugo Larsson.
According to a report from Football Insider, City will have to pay upwards of £50m for Larsson if they want to bring him into the club. They reportedly view him ‘as a player who could adapt to the Premier League’ well and hit the ground running quickly.
Although they are the side seemingly leading the race for Larsson, it does not seem like this will be an easy deal to do. Football Insider report that ‘Frankfurt won’t be an easy club to deal with this summer’.
This is largely due to the signing of Omar Marmoush by City in January. The Egypt international also moved to Manchester for a hefty fee, meaning Frankfurt are under less pressure to sell Larsson.
Why Larsson would be a good signing
If City do manage to bring Larsson in this summer, it would represent a signing for the present and the future. The Sweden international is just 20 years of age, and will be around for the next decade at least. He has already made a strong start to life as a professional footballer, too.
This season, Larsson has played 39 games for the German side, scoring six goals in that time. The split is equal, three-three, across the Bundesliga and the Europa League.
One of those goals came in the important 2-1 win over Ajax in the Europa League Round of 16.
One of the interesting things about Larsson is his versatility. Of those 39 appearances this term, 29 have come as a number eight, although he has featured as a number six and further up the pitch as a number 10, too.
This certainly aligns with De Bruyne’s role in a City shirt throughout his career. Of course, he is an attacking midfielder by trade, but he has played 32% of all his games for the East Mancunian side as a number eight, where he can create from a deeper position on the pitch.
Let’s not forget his exploits in the Bundesliga, either. He was more prolific than Larsson has been for Frankfurt this term, with 23 goals and 36 assists in 85 games in the German top flight.
De Bruyne’s 31 goals and assists in 34 games for Wolfsburg the season before he moved to City was the standout.
Focussing back on Larsson, he has previously been compared to Jude Bellingham by football analyst Ben Mattinson, who said he is “similar to Bellingham” in the way he plays. Of course, the Real Madrid star is now performing week in, week out for one of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Well, looking at the stats on FBref from the Englishman’s last season at Borussia Dortmund, compared to Larsson’s this term, you can see the similarities. For example, the Swedish star averages 0.84 key passes per game, compared to 1.14 for Bellingham per game in his final season for Dortmund.
Key passes
0.84
1.14
Shot-creating actions
2.29
4.18
Tackles and interceptions
2.76
3.71
Dribble completion rate
46.2%
57%
Ball recoveries
4.53
6.62
Should City get this deal over the line, it would represent a positive stride towards the future. Not only are they bringing in a player who is performing well in a competitive Bundesliga, but he will also be around for years to come.
The similarities with De Bruyne are clear to see. Larsson is a talented young midfielder who can play anywhere in midfield but excels further forward and would be joining from the German top flight. If he can have anywhere close to De Bruyne’s impact, it will be a legendary signing.
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He’s destined for greatness.
ByTom CunninghamApr 7, 2025