How Much Does Kevin De Bruyne Earn at Manchester City?
The highest salary in England!
Over 9 years at Manchester City, Kevin De Bruyne has become an undisputed leader of the club and evolved into one of the best footballers in the world. Currently, in the Premier League, no one can compare to the genius midfielder in the art of passing and creativity, and perhaps there are few competitors in these aspects worldwide.
Naturally, as De Bruyne's skill at City grew, so did his salary. Therefore, he is now considered not only one of the best but also one of the highest-paid footballers in the world.
The last time he renewed his contract with the Manchester club was in April 2021, extending the agreement until the summer of 2025.
Various figures regarding the Belgians' salaries are cited by the media. According to the Daily Mail, he earns €446,000 per week (€23.2 million per year). Meanwhile, L'Equipe believes that De Bruyne's earnings amount to £425,000 per week (£498,000 per week and £25.9 million per year). However, almost everyone agrees: Kevin is the highest-paid Premier League footballer. For clarity, here is the top 3 ranking from Capology: De Bruyne (€24 million before tax), Haaland - €22.5 million, Casemiro and Salah - €21 million.
Of course, in Europe, there are those who earn more than the Belgian. For example, Harry Kane in Bayern (€25 million) and De Jong in Barcelona (€37.5 million). However, the following fact makes Kevin's case exceptional. Unlike the vast majority of stars, De Bruyne negotiated his dream salary himself.
He parted ways with his agent, Patrick De Koster, after an unpleasant incident in Wolfsburg. At that time, the agent negotiated one amount with the club but only handed over the part to his client, keeping the rest for himself.
After that, De Bruyne turned to the police and decided to handle his affairs himself, occasionally involving his father. The new strategy worked — after six months of negotiations, the midfielder convinced the club that he deserved an astronomical salary.
Moreover, De Bruyne has regularly made Forbes' list since then. In 2023, he ranked 9th among the 11 highest-paid footballers in the world, between Mane ($52 million) and Kane ($36 million). He became the only footballer on the list who negotiated his salary independently.
According to the publication, in 2023, Kevin earned $39 million — $35 million thanks to football and an additional $4 million from advertising contracts. De Bruyne collaborates with Nike and has also signed a contract with McDonald's, becoming the face of the company in Belgium.
And all this at 32 years old, without going to Saudi Arabia and other non-football countries to earn money.
Published by Patrick Jane
19.03.2024