Man City news: Opinion – ‘Pushing to keep Kevin de Bruyne would have been selfish’

Kevin de Bruyne showed he can still control the outcome of games at the highest level by inspiring Manchester City’s comeback against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

After the game he said it was the club’s decision that he will leave at the end of the season, and he showed what they will miss when he is gone.

It must have been very difficult for Pep Guardiola to allow him to leave, but I think pushing to keep De Bruyne would have been a selfish move.

The Belgian still has the quality but can’t now stay fit and provide performances at the levels of relentless consistency required to start regularly for Manchester City, who will demand to return to the top of English football as soon as possible.

Keeping him would be as a squad player, and if De Bruyne wants to stay it would surely to be as a starter. It feels like the hierarchy making clear they want to give him a new deal would be a selfish move rather than looking for the best solution for both him and the club.

Having a player of his quality as a squad player and helping to facilitate a rebuild is not what he will want at this stage of his career.

I would love to see De Bruyne stay in the Premier League and I really think he could, especially considering he has not ruled out staying in England in any interviews since announcing his departure.

He would just need to accept a lower wage and potentially reduced playing time.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport’s Nat Hayward